James Edward Davidson

James Edward Davidson (c. 20 December 1870 – 1 June 1930), known in journalistic circles as "J.E.D.", was an Australian journalist who rose through the ranks to become a newspaper owner, the founder of News Limited.

He was born at Pine Hills, Harrow, Victoria, the elder son of Janet née Aitchison (c. 1847 – 31 March 1901) and J(ames) Johnstone Davidson, who died in Africa in 1901, where son A. A. Davidson was chairman of West African Mines. and spent much of his youth at Thackaringa Station, New South Wales (near Cockburn, South Australia).

After a period in the Civil Service, he became secretary to the Premier of Western Australia, Lord Forrest.

It was in Western Australia that Davidson, a skilled shorthand writer, commenced his journalistic career, as a reporter on The West Australian. In 1897 he joined the literary staff of the Argus in Melbourne, and after nine years as a reporter he became editor of the Weekly Times. Two years later he accepted the position of general manager and editor-in-chief of the Herald and Weekly Times. After seven years in that post he turned his attention to South Australia, acquiring The Barrier Miner at Broken Hill and the Recorder at Port Pirie, and established an Adelaide afternoon newspaper, in preparation for which, the Mail was purchased. After the News had been launched, another journal was published in Hobart, but failed, and a controlling interest was obtained in the Daily News in Perth.

Davidson left Adelaide in March 1930 on the Naldera to attend the Empire Press Conference in London, where he died suddenly of pneumonia. He was buried at the Putney Vale Cemetery alongside his son Alan.

His brother Allan Arthur Davidson (1873–1930) was a well known mining engineer, and explorer, a graduate of Adelaide's School of Mines.

He married Eugenie Louise Gilbert (or Jerome-Gilbert) on 6 October 1896. They had two sons:

He was a prominent member of Rotary.