Jan Davis first female usher of black rod in South Australian and all parliaments in the British commonwealth
Jan Davis, as Legislative Council clerk assistant and usher of the black rod, with state governor Donald Dunstan at an opening ceremony of the South Australian parliament.
Image courtesy Jan Davis
Jan Davis in 1979 was appointed the South Australian parliament Legislative Council's clerk assistant and usher of the black rod, requiring the word "gentleman" be dropped from the title for the first time in all the parliaments of the British commonwealth.
She later became the first woman to be appointed clerk, the chief officer, of the South Australia Legislative Council and the first for all Australian legislative chambers. Davis shared her tenure of more than 50 years (1964-2018) in the state parliament – as the longest continuous public office holder in South Australia – with 14 premiers, 219 members of parliament, 96 members of the Legislative Council, 12 presidents of the upper house and 11 governors.
Davis started her working life as a teacher and was reluctant to take the position as junior clerk with the Legislative Council: "But when I got that job there was such interesting things that happened, especially right from the beginning, with all the changes to succession duties and the big debates in our house."
The clerk who interviewed Davis was worried about having a 19-year-old (actually 18) working in parliament house. These were the days of antics such as colourful members of the House of Assembly like (former Test cricketer) Gil Langley and Geoff Virgo, after some drinks, doing a conga dance in the gallery of the Legislative Council while it was sitting – to the horror of its conservative president Lyell McEwin. At late-night sittings over legislation, tempers would fray and politicians "nearly" come to blows.
Davis was appointed parliamentary officer in 1973 and in 1978 became second clerk assistant in the Legislative Council for procedural work. In the early days, she received comments regarding a woman's role "being in the kitchen" and, “when I applied for the position, I was made to give an undertaking I wouldn't get engaged or married for five years.I was engaged within the first year. I was scared stiff. The guy I worked with in the front office said: 'No, we're going to take this head on', and marched me down to show the clerk my engagement ring. I thought I was going to be sacked but he was all right."
In 1977-78, Davis was in a "battle" with the-then president of the council who held the balance of power with a casting vote. Davis took issue with the president interviewing his son for a role in the council, along with his notion of becoming a "life president". Members from the Liberal and Labor sides helped Davis combat the president who “was going to get rid of me”.
In 1979. Davis was appointed clerk assistant and usher of the black rod: "When I went down to knock on the door of the House of Assembly, they all cheered when I came to the bar, and that was something for me.” Becoming the Legislative Council clerk, its chief officer, in 1992, also was exciting.
Davis was never allowed in the parliament house bar in the early days, something that changed when Anne Levy [first female president of the Legislative Council] changed the rules. David recalled: "They didn't even get me a gown at first but eventually I got one and I can remember someone saying to me: ‘Don't tell the other women’. But they weren't even clerks; they were typists. That's how ridiculous it was."
Davis said her most "notorious" experience was with the select committee on uranium resources, flying to Roxby Downs, the Northern Territory and Queensland. "When we arrived, (Labor member of the Legislative Council) Norm Foster carried my sick bags down the steps, only to be greeted by a welcoming party on the tarmac."
In 2008, Davis was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to parliament.
