Business Name	R. W. Davey And Sons
Business address in Prospect	118 Prospect Road, Prospect Later including the shop at 120 Prospect Road
Type of business	Plumbing, roofing, guttering, hardware, hand tools, power tools, garden equipment, kitchen utensils, paint and painting equipment.
Who started the business	Richard Williams* DAVEY with his wife Mary Ann (PHILPOT)   *NB “Williams” was Richard’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name.
When was it started	Richard and his wife Mary Ann (PHILPOT) first lived in Currie Street Adelaide, where he worked as a plumber and ran a small hardware shop. The family moved to a house at 118 Prospect Road Prospect in 1897, after the birth of their second child earlier that year. Richard first established the plumbing business in a large workshop behind the house. Rainwater tanks and wood chip bath water heaters were made there. Richard opened the hardware shop in 1908, using one 18 ft. by 12 ft. room of the house. About 10 years after the original shop opened, the dining room was converted for shop use giving a further depth of 15 ft.   Richard Williams Davey died in 1922 and the business then became R. W. Davey and Sons.   In 1939, the lounge room and front verandah of the house was used to give more shop space. After the death of Mrs Mary Davey in 1940, the other front room was utilized, the shop front now extended across the full width of 118 Prospect Road. In 1958 a new shop was built on the vacant land next door. A 14 ft. opening was made in the wall between the two shops, to make things easier for staff and customers.   Northern Suburbs Weekly 28 May 1959 “The new section is most attractive in appearance, and is constructed on modern architectural lines. Full-plate glass windows extend the entire width of the building except for the inset entrance with double doors and stainless steel mouldings.   The shop front is set back from the original path alignment about four feet, and this area is paved with coloured fancy tiles.”    The shop remained in family hands until the 1970's. For a time it was rented out before being sold outright to a business called "Paint And Paper".
Comments	After the death of Mr. Richard Williams Davey in 1922, the business continued as R W Davey and Sons, in partnership with Richard‘s widow, Mrs. Mary Davey, and their three sons Clyde (Richard Clyde), Vernon (William Vernon) and Lance (John Lancelot) Davey.   The business survived the depression due to pay cuts taken, and other sacrifices made by Clyde, Vern, Lance and Mary. Because of this, all staff kept their jobs, but had their weekly working hours reduced. Nobody was ever laid off at R. W. Davey’s in those difficult times, a fact all three brothers were very proud of in later life.     In January 1953, Messrs R. W. Davey and Sons of Prospect Road, were successful with their tender of £78/10/0 for repairs to the Prospect Oval Grandstand roof, gutters and downpiping. The tender covered painting of seating but not painting of the roof.   In 1957, on the retirement of senior partner Clyde Davey through ill health, it became a private limited company, and Mr. Alan Edward Davey, a grandson of the founders and younger son of Mr. Vern Davey was admitted to the partnership in charge of the plumbing section of the business. Alan started his business Davey Plumbing Maintenance at Holden Hill in 1960.   Vern’s older son Stan didn't work permanently in the business, he had a job elsewhere. Stan helped out doing home deliveries to customers on Saturdays, driving an old Bedford ute.   Another grandson, and son of Mr. Lance Davey, Max Davey, joined his father and the staff in the retail department.
Sources of Information	Roger Davey, Davey Family history book, Trove, BMDs
Principal Researcher(s)	Roger Davey (Great Grandson of R. W. Davey) Lesley Attema PLHG