John Davies was one of four brothers who were prominent in Melbourne business and political life, the most notorious being Matthew Davies who was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly between 1887 and 1892. John Davies was born in England and brought to Victoria by his parents at the age of ten. He became a solicitor in 1863, practising in Melbourne first by himself and then with J.M. Campbell in the firm of Davies and Campbell. In 1865 he married Emily Frances Scales. During the 1880s he, like many others, speculated in land, forming the General Land and Savings Co.

Davies was elected to the Legislative Council for South Yarra Province in 1889. He was Minister of Justice in the Munro ministry in 1890-92, and acting Chief Secretary and Minister of Justice for two months in 1891. His company failed in 1893, another casualty of the depression, and although he remained solvent he had to sell most of his assets. In 1895 he was a delegate to the Federal Council, but later that year lost his seat in the Victorian Parliament.

In 1910 he was unanimously elected President, and retained the position until ill health caused him to resign in 1919. He had been knighted in 1918. Davies died at Malvern a few months after his resignation, and was survived by his wife and eight children.