Mel Davies

Mel Davies is an Honorary Research Fellow at the UWA Business School's Department of Economics. He holds a BA from Kent and an MA from Adelaide. His research focuses on mining history, 19th-century South Australian economic dynamics, demography, and transportation systems. He has organized international mining history conferences and serves as editor of the Journal of Australasian Mining History.

Education:

• BA, Kent University
• MA, Adelaide University

Research Interests: Mining history (especially South Australia and Western Australia), demographic studies linking fashion trends to birth rates, copper smelting techniques, and capital financing mechanisms in colonial mining enterprises. His work bridges economic history with social and industrial dynamics.

Collaborations: Works with mining historians in the UK, Canada, South America, South Africa, and the USA. Current projects include biographies of mining entrepreneurs and analyses of 19th-century mining challenges.

Labs/Teams: Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Australasian Mining History and oversees the Association's quarterly newsletter. Served as Secretary for multiple International Mining History Congresses.