Thomas Davey

Thomas James Davey (1 December 1844 – 31 December 1928), commonly referred to as T. J. Davey, was Lord Mayor of Melbourne 1910–1912. Biography Davey was born in Bristol, England, and educated there at the Fairland Lodge school. He moved to Australia, arriving in Melbourne on his birthday 1 December 1857. He worked as a storekeeper at Sale, then returned to Melbourne, setting himself up as a public accountant. He was later joined by James Henry Cole. They founded the accountancy firm of Davey and Cole in 1876, became Davey, Cole & Flack at Elizabeth Street in 1880; Davey, Flack and Co. in 1884 and Davey, Balding, and Co. of Lombard Buildings, 17 Queen Street, Melbourne in 1905. He remained with that firm until his death. Civic Davey was elected councillor for the Lonsdale Ward with the City of Melbourne corporation in 1891 and in June 1916 was elected alderman, following the death of Sir Arthur Snowden. He was acting Lord Mayor in 1908 during the absence in London of Sir Henry Weedon, then elected to the position in 1910, succeeding Sir James Burston, and reelected in 1911. Other interests Davey was chairman of directors, London Stores Limited from its foundation in 1911. director of J. Kitchen and Sons Limited and Queensland Insurance Company chairman of the Fire Brigades Board a foundation member of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants of Victoria (later Commonwealth Institute of Accountants) a Justice of the Peace for Victoria also for New South Wales a member of the Honorary Justices' Association president of the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital a member of the Athenaeum Club, the Victoria Racing Club, and the Melbourne Cricket Club a member and patron of the Mercantile Rowing Club a member of the Royal Society of St George