Davison began writing full time during the depression, adopting, at this time, the names Frank Dalby to distinguish himself from his father. He won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for his novel
Man-shy in 1931.
Man-shy is "the story of a red heifer ... who learned to value freedom above everything". It was initially published in serial form in 1923—25 in his father's
Australian magazine. Later, with the Depression impacting his earning ability, he tried to find a publisher. However, no-one was interested in a book "about a cow", so he published it himself. Angus and Roberston took it on after it won the Australian Literature Society's award.
During the 1930s he worked as a real-estate agent and also as a special contributor to
The Bulletin. He produced several stories and books, including the novel
Children of the Dark People and the short story collection
The Woman at the Mill.
While
Man-shy took over 7 years to be published, his last book,
The White Thorntree, took over 22 years to write. Smith wrote in 1980 that it "deals with human beings and their sexual expressions of themselves as no other Australian writer has done". The first edition was published with a cover designed by artist and friend, Clifton Pugh.
Davison was active in the Fellowship of Australian Writers and, through the 1930s, formed a close working relationship with Marjorie Barnard and Flora Eldershaw. Barnard, Eldershaw and Davison were known as the "triumvirate" for their work in developing progressive policies through the Fellowship on such issues as civil liberties and censorship. In the Acknowledgment for
Dusty (1946) he wrote:
A few years ago I was granted a year's Fellowship by the Commonwealth Literary Fund to carry out certain work. This is the first opportunity I have had to make suitable acknowledgments. I am hoping this book will be accepted as completing the undertaking of which the volume of short stories, The Woman at The Mill, was the first part. This is not the novel I had in mind — perhaps it is a better one! — but it accrues from that year in which I had free time to work and grow, and for which I am grateful to my fellow citizens and the community of letters.
He was also a long-time friend of Vance and Nettie Palmer.
Davison wrote under several pseudonyms: T Bone; The Roo; Davison, Fred D.; Fred Davison, Junr; Fred Junr; Davison, F. Myall; Douglas, Frederick; Daly, Francis; Daniels, Frank; Sandes, John; McGarvie, Scott; F. D. D.
His novel,
Dusty was made into a film in 1983.