By Alva “Bobbie” Davies

Early Years

William Martin Davies (called “Marty”) was born on the 6th March, 1960 at Jesse McPherson Hospital in Melbourne about a week late, according to Dr Raymont, who thought that he was due on leap day (29th February). He was delivered by low forceps and had a little infection near the eye, which necessitated that he be kept in isolation for a few days.

His parents were Alva Gladys (“Bobbie”) and William Frankston Davies (“Bill”) who were living at 6 Lincoln Parade, Aspendale at the time of his birth. He had one sister, Jennifer Diane McCourt (nee Davies).

His grandparents were holidaying in England at the time of his birth, and his father sent a cable to them. It was the first they ever knew of his impending birth, as Bill and Bobbie decided not to tell them until all was over and everything going well. Another in the long-line of males named “William” Davies’, the cable read: ‘Never fear, Bill Davies the third, is here’. His grandparents decided there and then to make tracks for home.

Education

Marty went to the Aspendale Kindergarten, then Aspendale State School (1965-1971), and Mordialloc High School (now Mordialloc College) from 1972-1976. Hating school, and not doing well, he left after Form 4 (year 10) to work as an apprentice Fitter and Turner at Carb-I-Tool Australia in Argus Street in Cheltenham (1977-1980). This he did to please his engineer Grandfather, William James Davies, but he hated it. He left this profession immediately after he gained his trade certificate.

He returned to study with renewed enthusiasm at Frankston High School, gained his matriculation easily in 1981 (by-passing Year 11), then he worked briefly as a gardener and handyman at an old people's home, Salisbury House at Upper Beaconsfield and later, the Springvale Crematorium. After this, he studied at Victoria College, Toorak Campus (now Deakin University) for his Bachelor of Arts (1983-1985). He was offered a summer research scholarship to the Flinders University of South Australia for 10 weeks (1985-1986) where he did a research project on semantic theories. He was the first among the known Davies clan to gain a university degree.

He remained at Flinders University to get a first class honours degree in Philosophy (1986-1987), then took up a six-year Commonwealth Scholarship at Flinders University to gain doctoral degree in philosophy in the area of cognitive science and the philosophy of mind (1987-1994). During this time he gained various positions teaching English as a second language, tutoring and lecturing in philosophy at Flinders University, and working as an editor and learning advisor for undergraduates and graduate students.

He travelled to the University of Edinburgh on a university grant as part of his doctoral studies (1989-90). On his way back home he travelled through Europe, the Scandinavian countries, and took the trans-Siberian train trip from Moscow to China, from there making his way down through many countries to Malaysia, where he met up again with Alice Mok in Kuala Lumpur whom he knew from university days.

He was conferred his PhD in 1994. He achieved a Graduate Diploma in Education (2000), and a second PhD (2002) from the University of Adelaide, and he was awarded the H. J. Allen Prize in Philosophy from that institution along with the Dean’s letter of commendation for his thesis. He was invited to contribute to a small booklet about famous South Australians, and to an ARC funded, two-volume work entitled History of Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand. While working on his second doctorate, Marty did a Certificate IV in Electronic Publishing from the Douglas Mawson Institute of TAFE, in Adelaide.

Employment

Marty taught at Flinders University as a lecturer and tutor in philosophy, and a Visiting Scholar in Philosophy from 1988-2000. During this time he also taught at the University of Adelaide in the Philosophy department and the Advisory Centre for University Education, then returned to Melbourne to work at Monash University (2000-2003). During this period, he also went to Aberdeen University, Scotland, on a university grant to give a paper. Following this, Marty was, for many years, an senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne (2003-2013) and later held the position of Associate Professor, and Deputy (later Director) of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Unit (now the Williams Centre for Learning Advancement) at the Faculty of Economics and Commerce, University of Melbourne and Honorary Research Fellow in Economics. During this period of employment, Marty had two research sabbaticals (2007 and 2011). He worked at Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh in the United States and was a research fellow at St. John’s College at the University of Sydney and the University of Copenhagen in 2011.

He took a package after a workplace restructure along with seven other staff at the age of 53 although he remained an honorary Principal Fellow/Associate Professor in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. He picked up permanent work at Federation University in Gippsland (formerly Monash) in the Centre for Learning and Professional Practice and RISE directorate in April 2014 and has remained there teaching logic and reasoning, and running classes in academic writing for doctoral students. Along with his work colleagues he received the Vice Chancellors’ Award in 2018. He worked with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority part time as an advisor from 2020-2023. When at work he lived at 18 Beacon Court, Inverloch (formerly 21 Beach Avenue West, Inverloch—a property was bequeathed to Alva “Bobbie” Davies by William Francis “Frank” Cowen). He worked from home from 2025—.

He was accepted into a commonwealth supported place in the D. Juris degree at Monash University in 2017 but he deferred, and later abandoned the idea.

In June 2024 he was invited to speak at a colloquium at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. He and his wife Alice made it a holiday with trips to Spain, France and Turkey as well.

Marty published eight books and 90+ scholarly papers for various academic journals on a variety of topics. In 2025 he was invited by several publishers to do work for them: Routledge, Bloomsbury and Edward Elgar. His publications are listed on his website: www.martindavies.com.au

Marriage and Family

Marty married Alice Mok (b1966 in Kuala Lumpur) on 28th May 1993 at Old Government House in Belair in the Adelaide Hills. They had one son, William Jackson Davies (b 16/6/01). They lived for many years in 17 Brigalow Avenue, Seacombe Gardens, and 10/12 Murray Terrace Oaklands Park in Adelaide before settling in Chelsea, Melbourne.

Interests

Marty had an early interest in drawing, and also had musical interests. He was a Member of Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra for three years (1983-1985) after studying classical guitar with Joseph Ruecker in Melbourne. Later he developed an interest in jazz music and regularly attended the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues. He was founder and President of the Mordialloc College Alumni Association from 2014— 2017 and helped establish the organisation and its website: www.mordialloccollegealumni.org They were nominated for an Australia Day Award for services to the community in Kingston City in 2016 and 2017.

Physical Characteristics and Medical History

Marty is 178 cm in height, with brown eyes, black hair, with a dark complexion and light build. His early years were marked with hearing difficulties, ear infections and croup. His hearing difficulties continued until adulthood and he had a number of ear operations and retained a partial deafness throughout life. At one time he developed cholesteatoma in his right ear requiring all his ossicles removed and prosthesis put in its place, which never restored his hearing. This procedure was repeated with no beneficial results. Later he developed tinnitus, chronic otitis media (persistent weeping infection) and deafness in his other ear. The otitis media was corrected with a long course of powerful antibiotics but not before near deafness in his “good” ear. In 2017 he was found to have Graves’ Disease (over-active thyroid), later to go into remission, and coeliacs’ disease. Along with his family he adopted a gluten free diet in 2020. He had a total thyroidectomy in August 2026.