David Donovan is the founder and director of Independent Australia.
Donovan, born 1970, has many years experience in the media and was formerly the media director – and, later, vice-chair – of the Australian Republican Movement.
David was raised on cattle properties in Central Queensland and suffered a severe motorbike accident on holidays from boarding school at his family's remote cattle property at the age of 16. Though perilously close to death, he managed to ride home almost 20 kilometres on a damaged motorbike to enable his rescue by the Flying Doctor Service.
He made a full recovery and, after school, went on to study law and accountancy, later spending several years in London working in finance for several major investment banks including UBS, NatWest Global Markets, Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and Mizuho. Dave also spent some time living with his wife, Belinda, in Athens, Greece. Over the years, Donovan also maintained an interest in agriculture, primarily as an owner, and sometimes manager, of one of Australia's most successful avocado orchards – Donovan Avocados – until 2008.
Since starting Independent Australia in June 2010, he has turned it into one of Australia's most popular independent online news and opinion websites, giving it a strong focus on investigative journalism and breaking numerous important national stories. Personally, he has broken many national stories and was critical in establishing and pursuing IA's ground-breaking Ashbygate and Jacksonville investigations. In 2015, IA published its first print publication, the book Ashbygate: The Plot to Destroy Australia's Speaker, by Sydney bureau chief Ross Jones.
In 2015, David was a finalist at the MEAA Clarion awards for his "chicken dance" interview with a Newman Government minister, which gained national attention.
David has degrees in business (accountancy) and arts (journalism), as well as the best part of a law degree, which he dropped out of before completing. He says his greatest influence was his late father, from whom he learnt to love democracy from a very early age.
A good cricketer, Dave played representative and district cricket in Australia and England. These days he lives in Surfers Paradise with his lovely wife, beautiful son, an adorable kitten, cat and cavoodle. In his spare time, of which he has little, he enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction novels and walking on the nearby beach. He is also an accomplished poet.
David Donovan is the younger brother of former South Australian Liberal Party state candidate Matthew Donovan. His eldest brother, Lachlan Donovan, is a highly successful horticulturalist and board director of Avocados Australia.
David is a former paid-up member of the MEAA, but quit this union in disgust in 2021.
Read the journalism of David Donovan by clicking here.
Want to know more about David Donovan's accident and survival, click here.
Read about his amazing recovery by clicking here.
Read about David's views on organised religion here.
Read more about his incredible journey here.
Read David Donovan's speech at the Gold Coast March in March 2014 (pictured above) here.
Follow David Donovan on Google+.
Follow David Donovan on Twitter @davrosz.
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