Paul Davey migrated on his own to Australia from England in 1966 when he was eighteen years old, aiming to go on the land.
He had a job lined up as a jackaroo on a property near Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina. The job failed to materialise thanks to serious drought at the time.
After a variety of manual jobs in Wagga he got a news reporter's cadetship on the town's newspaper, The Daily Advertiser, taking home $19.00 a week.
It was in this capacity that he first met The Settlers the following year in Tumut as a result of which Ulick asked him to replace Peter Barry who was leaving Australia to live in Hong Kong.
Paul joined Ulick and Anne to record the second Snowy album; More Songs of the Snowy Mountains, towards the end of 1967.
The group had several high profile television show spots and media interviews throughout the following years.
Paul resumed his career as a journalist, working in London and South Africa before returning to Australia in 1972, where he worked in Port Hedland, Western Australia, Brisbane and finally the Canberra Press gallery.
By the time West of Cooma was on the cards, Paul was working as the senior staffer to the Minister for Primary Industry, Peter Nixon. But, The Settlers beckoned, and he took time off to travel to Tamworth for the recording.
Over the years since then, Ulick always called Paul when he wanted The Settlers back together for gigs or new recordings on the Snowy.
Once a Settler, always a Settler.