He was born in Bellingen, New South Wales to farrier Edward Davies and Edna Milly Clayworth.
He was educated in the New South Wales towns of Belmont and Wauchope and worked as a timber worker from 1959 to 1963.
They had three sons: Jamie Willis (1968), Peter Elliott 1971 (deceased 1971), and Adam Justin (1972).
Having moved to Western Australia in 1965, Davies served as a councillor on Stirling City Council from 1986 to 1989, and was active in the Liberal Party as president of the Balga branch from 1986 to 1988.
Davies remains the only person to win election to the Council as an independent since it underwent a major reorganisation in 1989.