Ernest Davis (brewer)
Sir Ernest Davis | |
---|---|
27th Mayor of Auckland City | |
In office 15 May 1935 – 28 May 1941 | |
Deputy | Bernard Martin (1935–38) George Richardson (1938) John Allum (1938–41) |
Preceded by | George Hutchison |
Succeeded by | John Allum |
Personal details | |
Born | Citizens (local) | 17 February 1872
Spouse | |
Relatives | Eliot Davis (brother) |
Sir Ernest Hyam Davis (17 February 1872 – 16 September 1962) was a New Zealand businessman, and was Mayor of Auckland City from 1935 to 1941. He was also on other Auckland local bodies (Fire Board, Hospital Board, Drainage Board) and on various philanthropic and sporting organisations. He was Mayor of Newmarket (a small inner-Auckland borough) from 1909 to 1910.
Early life
Davis was born on 17 February 1872 in Nelson to brewer Moss Davis and Leah Davis (née Jacobs). He attended Bishop's School in Nelson, and Auckland Grammar.[1][2] On 2 August 1899, he married Marion Mitchell, who had made a career as an opera singer with her debut at age 14.[3]
Career
Davis joined the brewing industry with W Macarthur & Co, and later became managing director of Hancock & Co. In 1923,
During the 1912 Waihi miners' strike, the strike leaders were imprisoned. They were released in November for securities of £1600, which was put up by Davis. He was a major source of funds for the Labour Party,[5] and was Michael Joseph Savage's employer for most of the period 1908–1919.[6] He also employed John A. Lee to manage the Palace Hotel in Rotorua from 1929 to 1931 after Lee lost his seat in Parliament.
The historian and polictial scientist Barry Gustafson has described Davis as "a millionaire who from 1912 until his death was a very generous financial supporter of the Labour Party ... A ruthless businessman, benefactor of worthy causes, and with an eye for the opposite sex."[6]
Davis told Warren Freer, then the Labour candidate for Mount Albert in the 1947 by-election, that he was "not opposed to state control of liquor outlets, but was opposed to state control of breweries" and supported Labour (sending a substantial cheque for party campaign funds) because "the Labour Party policy allows a worker to have a few shillings in his pocket and without that he cannot buy my beer. Conservatives tend to look after the more affluent in the country and do not care if the worker has sixpence for a beer or not."[7]
In 1935, Davis was elected
Davis was the owner of the
Honours and awards
In the
In 2010, Davis was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.[15]
Notes
- ISBN 0473016818.
- ^ Scholefield 1951, p. 60.
- ^ Downes, Peter. "Marion Mitchell". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Bush, W. A. "Davis, Ernest Hyam". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- ^ Gustafson 1980, p. 62.
- ^ a b Gustafson 1986, p. 279.
- ISBN 0-86473-478-6.
- ^ "City Mayoralty". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXII, no. 22104. 9 May 1935. p. 11.
- ^ "Election of Mayor". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXV, no. 23040. 18 May 1938. p. 5.
- ^ "Honours list". Nelson Evening Mail. 11 May 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ "Honoured by France: Auckland Citizens". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 4. 5 July 1938. p. 17.
- ^ Grande Chancellerie de la Legion d’Honneur Letter, CK/G2 743 F42011, dated 21 December 2011.
- ^ Brewer, Mark, 'New Zealand and the Legion d'honneur: The Mid-War period', The Volunteers: The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society, awaiting publication.
- ^ "Coronation Medal" (PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. No. 37. 3 July 1953. pp. 1021–1035. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ "Past laureates". Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
References
- Buckland, Susan (2019). Ernest Davis: Man of the People. Taupo, NZ: Magari Publishing. ISBN 978-0-908801-69-5.
- Foster, Bernard John (9 November 2011) [1966]. "Davis, Sir "Ernest" Hyam, Kt.". In McLintock, A. H. (ed.). An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ISBN 0-19-647986-X.
- Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
- Scholefield, Guy Hardy (1951) [1908]. Who's Who in New Zealand (5th ed.). Wellington: Reed.