He was born at Pine Hills, Harrow, Victoria,Carl Bridge, 'Davidson, James Edward (1870–1930)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 7 June 2013This reference alone cites Harrow as his place of birth; all newspaper accounts have Thackaringa, however there is no evidence of Thackaringa Station being established by 1870 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).
