Born: 2 December 1909, South Africa
Died: 6 January 1984
Country most active: South Africa
Also known as: NA
The following, “Joan Hoskyn Davies,” is republished from South African History Online in line with the SAHO Copyright, Disclaimer & Privacy policy.
Davies was born on Robben Island in 1909, where her father was a doctor. In 1935 she started work at the Cape Archives Depot and in 1944 she transferred to the Transvaal Archives Depot. In 1957 she was appointed head of the new Liaison Department, and was involved with selecting documents and advising the government on filing. After a period in England, Davies was appointed as head of the Cape Archives Depot and stayed in this position until her retirement. She was the first woman to be an archivist and the first female head of an archives depot, as until this point women had only been assistants. Davies was also a member of many different societies, including the Pretoria Historical Society.