Descendants of Mercury founder John Davies, from left, Margaret Davies, sister Josephine and brother John, can recall their childhood days when three copies of the paper were delivered to their home.
Today I give you a sneaky peek into Nick’s family and his forebears – Davies Brothers Ltd who established The Mercury newspaper in 1854. The newspaper will be celebrating 160 years on the 5th July.
This lovely photo of Nick’s Dad and his Aunties featured in The Mercury on Monday with the below editorial:
THE founder of one of Tasmania’s greatest family businesses, Davies Brothers Ltd, was a convict who turned his life around and made an impression on the world.
John Davies established the Mercury newspaper in July 1854 and left a lasting legacy for his family and Tasmania, says Margaret Davies, his great-great-granddaughter.
Her father, George “Bill” Davies, was the last in the family to guide the company before it was taken over by News Limited (now News Corp Australia) in the late 1980s.
“Old John passed on to his family the importance of honest hard work and that was carried on through the generations,” Dr Davies said.
“There was a sense of duty to the community which was passed down through the family.”
She was born into the world of print, her father was made managing director of Davies Brothers when she was only 10 years old.
Growing up her family would receive three copies of the Mercury delivered to their home – one for their father, one for their mother and one for the four children to share.
Dr Davies is a retired academic who followed a career path in science. not journalism, but even so it would seem publishing was part of her purpose.
In her retirement she is serving as honorary editor of the Royal Society of Tasmania and has published and edited a number of books in her field.
“I suppose I have newsprint running in my veins,” she said.
Earlier this year she received the OAM for service to science in the field of herpetology and is the fourth generation of her family to receive an honour.
Her father was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. while her grandfather C.B. Davies received the CBE in 1941 and her great-grandfather George Davies was knighted in 1909.
The Poppy Files 
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