The Thursday review was a short-lived ultra-conservative political journal produced by Abraham Davis which created much comment during its two year life. Davis, aged in his sixties at the time he published the Thursday Review, was opposed to South Australia's newly created democratic government, with its "almost" universal suffrage and secret ballot. Davis felt this differed too much from the British system, which had not yet moved this far down the path of democracy.

A frantic determination to have equality dominant overruled all warnings, and we are witnessing around us the beginning of the end. ... we are anxious to awaken the middle class of the colony to the defence of their own position, and to prevent, as far as in us lies, a farther downward progress to pure democracy. (5 January 1860, p. 1)

When the Thursday Review launched itself in January 1860 Adelaide's two daily newspapers (which were attacked by Davis in his first editorial) lampooned their new adversary and his criticism of their being "essentially democratic". "The policy of our contemporary is out of date and impracticable," wrote the Advertiser. (South Australian Advertiser, 7 January 1860, p. 2-3) A flurry of letters to the editor in both the Advertiser and the Register alternately ridiculed or lambasted the Thursday Review, describing it as "too antiquated for Russia," (South Australian Advertiser, 10 January 1860, p. 3) and "out of date and impracticable." (ibid, 7 January 1860, p. 3) Davis was accused of being prejudiced towards the working classes in response to his comments about working class members of Parliament. (Thursday Review, 5 January 1860, p. 3) He replied that he was not speaking about all members of the working class, but the "worthless, the mischievous, and those unfitted by ignorance" [to vote]. (27 December 1860, p. [199])

Judge Boothby From July 1861 the Thursday review contained many articles regarding the Justice Boothby situation. Davis took the side of Boothby, contrary to Adelaide's major newspapers and apparently contrary also to general public opinion.

Aborigines Davis was concerned about the fact that a voluntary organisation (the Aborigines' Friends' Association) was running the mission at Point Macleay. He believed that support of the Aboriginal people should be a government duty, not a philanthropic venture. (21 June 1860, pp. 226-227) Interestingly, when John Baker M.P. suggested removing Aboriginal children from their parents in 1860, Davis declared this was "a violation of natural rights unjustifiable under any conceivable circumstances." (13 September 1860, p. 84)

Poetry and literature Apart from political comment, the most regular feature of the Review was poetry. A number of local poets had work published in the journal, in particular 'Ellie' (Ellen Debney). Most contributors wrote anonymously as 'Q' or 'T.W.' etc. Lengthy book reviews (mostly of English publications) were also included.

Closure The final issue was published on 26 December 1861. Abraham Davis died in 1866.