The 1955-56 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition was charged with the choice of a site for a second Australian base in the Vestfold Hills about 350 miles east of Mawson Station Station (1) . The new station was established on 13 January 1957 and named in honour of Captain John King Davis, second in command of two of Mawson's expeditions, master of several famous Antarctic Ship and a number of the ANARE.Planning Committee (2), (3)  The station was fully
operational on 22 January 1957 (2). The station was temporarily closed on 25 January 1965 and reopened on 15 January 1969 (3) (Subject to further investigation)
 
The station provided meteorological and general scientific information including, inter alia, geological and cartographic surveys,
meteorological and biological studies, geophysical research and observations of aurorae, sea ice phenomena and tides. Initial station scientific facilities included an all-sky auroral camera set up beneath a perspex dome (1).
 
The establishment of the Geophysical Observatory at Davis is subject to further research.
 
References
 
(1) Current Notes on International Affairs Vol. 26 (12), December 1955  
(2) Current Notes on International Affairs Vol. 28 (1), January 1957  
(3) Australian Year Book, 1974, pp. 1086-1087
 

Historical agency address
Vestfold Hills, Australian Antarctic Territory