Jump to content

Allan Arthur Davidson

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Allan Arthur Davidson (26 January 1873 – 7 January 1930) was an Australian mining engineer, prospector and explorer who undertook some of his most notable work in the Northern Territory in his explorations of the Tanami Desert.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Davidson was the son of James Johnson Davidson and Janet Davidson (née Aitcheson) and he was born in Harrow, Victoria. The journalist James Edward Davidson (1870–1930) was a brother. By 1886 the family had moved to Thackaringa Station, near Broken Hill, where his father had been appointed the manager.[2]

In 1887 Davidson began working in mines nearby and, in 1889 moved to Adelaide where he was employed at the Australian Smelting and Refining Company and later graduated from the Adelaide School of Mines with qualifications in mining and metallurgy.[2]

In the 1890s Davidson travelled frequently and undertook a variety of mining and prospecting work in Kalgoorlie, Mount Pleasant and New Guinea. For the trip to New Guinea, which took place between March and August 1897, he was commissioned by Zebina Lane and, from his exploration, found that the cost of gold mining there would be too high due to the isolation of the goldfields.[2]

Life in the Northern Territory

[edit]

In 1897 Lane appointed Davidson as the manager of the Central Australian Exploration Company, which is also known as the Central Australian Exploration Syndicate Limited.[2][3] Davidson and his team departed from Adelaide in November 1897 and spent three years exploring lands between Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek. Their major discovery was The Granites gold mine in the Tanami Desert.[2][4] It was Davidson who named the Tanami Desert after the Warlpiri language name for the permanent waterholes near his gold find.[5][6][7]

Davidson drew accurate and detailed maps of the region, which was previously considered one of 'the largest block of unknown country in Australia', and these were used for many years by other prospectors and mining companies.[2][3][8][9]

During this expedition Davidson also discovered wolframite at Hatches Creek wolfram field but, as they were looking for gold, this discovery was not followed up at the time.[10][11]

After the completion of their journey Davidson published his 'Journal of explorations in Central Australia / by the Central Australian Exploration Syndicate, Limited, under the leadership of Allan A. Davidson, 1898 to 1900' (1905).[12]

Later life

[edit]

In 1901, after the completion of this exploration in Central Australia, Davidson spent time mining in West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana) and later also in Chile. During World War I, when travelling between London and Nigeria his ship, the Fullabar, was sunk by a German submarine and he became one of the few survivors. He them returned to London and sold his interests in the Nigerian mining company and established himself as a consulting mining engineer there.[13]

He died in London in 1930.[14][15][16]

Legacy

[edit]

The following locations are named for Davidson:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Biography - Allan Arthur Davidson - People Australia". peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Person:Davidson, Allan". Engineering Heritage Australia. 18 May 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Central Australian Exploration Syndicate". www0.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. ^ "The gold find at Tanami". Sunday Times (Perth). No. 604. Western Australia. 1 August 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "The Tanami goldfield: Mr Allan Davidson's discovery". Western Mail (Western Australia). Vol. XXIV, no. 1, 235. Western Australia. 28 August 1909. p. 51. Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Tanami Desert". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Tanami: Mr AA Davidson's report". The Register (Adelaide). Vol. LXXIV, no. 19, 567. South Australia. 30 July 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Saturday, November 24. 1900". Taranaki Herald. 24 November 1900. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. ^ Winnecke, C. (Charles); Davidson, Allan A; South Australia. Surveyor-General's Office (1902), Map of explorations in Central Australia by Allan A. Davidson 1898 to 1901 [cartographic material], [Surveyor General's Office?], retrieved 16 October 2024
  10. ^ "Hatches Creek". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Hatches Creek West EL 22912 and EL 23463 year 1 annual technical (report) 25 July 2007 to 24 July 2008". GEMIS. 2008. {{cite journal}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  12. ^ Davidson, Allan A; Davidson, Allan A; Winnecke, C. (Charles), 1856-1902. Mr. Davidson's explorations in the Northern Territory of South Australia, 1901; Central Australian Exploration Syndicate (1905), Journal of explorations in Central Australia by the Central Australian Exploration Syndicate, Limited, under the leadership of Allan A. Davidson, 1898 to 1900, Government Printer, retrieved 16 October 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Obituary - Allan Arthur Davidson - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Mr A, Davidson dead: engineer and metallurgist". News. Vol. XIV, no. 2, 023. South Australia. 9 January 1930. p. 12 (HOME EDITION). Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ Terry, Michael (11 January 1930). "Allan A. Davidson: explorer and metallurgist". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. p. 21. Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Noted engineer dead: Allan Davidson's career, telluride discovery". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 36, no. 9418. Western Australia. 16 January 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 16 October 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Mount Davidson (Tanami)". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  18. ^ Terry, Michael (1930). "A Journey Through the North-West of Central Australia in 1928". The Geographical Journal. 75 (3): 218–222. Bibcode:1930GeogJ..75..218T. doi:10.2307/1784004. ISSN 0016-7398. JSTOR 1784004.
  19. ^ "Davidson Park (Tennant Creek)". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Davidson Street (East Side)". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Davidson Street (Tennant Creek)". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allan_Arthur_Davidson&oldid=1251469272"