Whether he's been behind the wheel of a rally car, on air as a radio announcer or doing business with local customers, Arthur Davis has always had two main goals in mind: to promote a growing Bathurst and assist people most in need.
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Mr Davis has been honoured as one of Bathurst's Living Legend inductees for 2020 and while he's proud of the recognition, he insists the importance of his many pursuits have always come before the honours.
"Accolades are far from my mind when it comes to anything I do, it's always about the meaning behind it," he said.
OTHER 2020 LIVING LEGEND INDUCTEES:
- Dr Martha Gelin
- Geoff Porter
- Lachlan Rendall
- Jane Rawlings
- George Gaal
- David Pennells
Mr Davis has brought a lot of meaning and purpose to the Bathurst community, ever since he moved from Glen Davis in 1956.
He soon made it his mission to ensure Bathurst residents were informed on the community around them, first as a telegram boy and later as a radio announcer.
"At the suggestion of a friend, I received some voice training in Sydney and was the breakfast announcer on 2BS from 1964 to 1968, about the time Ray Lambert was around," Mr Davis said.
"It was an early ambition of mine to be a radio announcer and even after I left 2BS, I remained a big supporter as I moved into other pursuits."
Mr Davis started his first retail business in 1969, and would later become well known for his ownership of Bathurst Cellars in Keppel Street [today the site of Inspirations Paint] and Wizard Dry Cleaning in Howick Street.
"Bathurst is a great town to do business in, because people are so supportive of each other," he said.
"Things are tough at the moment with the COVID-19 situation, but the one thing I've learned from business is when you think and promote local, the people will come and support you."
Soon into his business career, Mr Davis decided to follow another key passion: rally car driving.
Behind the wheel of a Datsun 180B SSS, Mr Davis took part in numerous Southern Cross International Rallies throughout the 1970s, as well as the 1977 London to Sydney Marathon, a 30,000-kilometre trek throughout Europe, Asia and Australia [he finished 18th outright]. He was also the NSW State Rally Champion in 1987.
Throughout the course of Mr Davis' rally career, the promotion of the Bathurst region was never far from his mind.
"When we first started doing the rallies, it coincided with a plan to promote an urban growth centre between Bathurst and Orange," he said.
"A symbol was produced for the Bathurst-Orange Growth Centre, and we carried that symbol on our car to promote nationally and internationally."
"The 1977 Marathon saw us cross Europe, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, the Malay Peninsula and mainland Australia in just over six weeks and, through 2BS, we'd keep Bathurst regularly informed of our travels, while also promoting our community throughout the many countries we visited."
Mr Davis eventually blended his love of rally cars with charity through the Kidney Kar Rally, which he ran alongside his wife, Kim, from 2000 to 2017.
"Over 18 years, the rally raised more than $15 million for children with chronic kidney disease to give them an enjoyable annual event [Kidney Kids Camp]," he said.
"The Kidney Kids would always visit us at start and finish dinners of the rally, and their stories would leave grown men in tears."
"The rally component was always memorable; the course designs, the mapping, the competitors; but our main drive was always making a difference to those kids' lives."
Mr Davis is a Life Member of both the Bathurst Light Car Club [since 1970] and the Beefsteak and Burgundy Group [since 1983], where he continues to promote community and the importance of local businesses.