Now, he spends his days as a rural mental health advocate, sharing his story with schools, companies and communities across the state.
He will share some of his experiences as the Australia Day Ambassador for Berrigan Shire Council in Barooga on Monday.
Born and bred in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne as the son of small business owners, Mr Davies was confident throughout primary school and wasn't afraid to take on leadership roles.
However, his confidence eroded once he started secondary school, where he was subjected to bullying, causing his studies to suffer immensely.
In 1982, he made the life-changing decision to move to the country and pursue his father's dream of becoming a farmer.
This gave him an opportunity to reinvent himself with a clear direction and career path.
Mentored by one of the best farmers in the district, he was able to hone his skills and by age 22, purchased his first farm.
The next 16 years would prove defining.
The harsh reality of farming soon became evident through high interest rates, low commodity prices, floods and drought.
These events tested his resilience, persistence and determination, having a massive impact on his young family, relationships and finances, culminating with the decision to walk off the farm.
Although work was easy to find managing large-scale operations from Victoria to South Australia, it wasn't the same.
He couldn't settle and felt like he had lost his identity because the farm was not only his career, but also his home and life.
In his eyes, he had failed and carried the guilt of failing as a husband and father.
As an avid reader, he searched for a better way and began his journey of piecing his life back together.
Through resilience, persistence and determination, he now tells his story and shares his experiences to audiences of all ages, reaching people from the country to the city, from farmers to CEOs of large corporations.
Mr Davies said amid times of unthinkable loss, it was important to foster a sense of togetherness between those facing the same tribulations.
“I know that, from my own experience, you think that you're the only one going through it.
“Obviously, you can see, if you look around, you're not, but that's the inner feeling.
“You start talking to people, and you realise that you are in this together; your situations might be different, but your experience is the same.”
Berrigan Shire’s Australia Day celebrations will be in Barooga on Monday, at Barooga botanical reserve.
Barooga Public School will be serving breakfast from 8am, and Odesi Collective will be on hand with its mobile coffee cart.
The formal ceremony begins about 9am.
Awards categories that were open for nominations were Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Sportsperson/Sports Team of the Year, and Community Organisation/Community Event of the Year.
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