James Dalton (1834 in County Limerick, Ireland – 17 March 1919 in Duntryleague, Orange, New South Wales) was a wealthy Australian merchant and pastoralist who promoted Roman Catholicism and the development of food distribution throughout the Colony of New South Wales. He was the patriarch of the wealthy Irish Australian Dalton family.
Life
Ireland James Dalton was born in 1834 in Duntryleague, County Limerick, Ireland as the second son of James Dalton and his first wife Eleanor Dalton (née Ryan); he had an elder brother, Thomas, and an elder sister, Margaret. He lived in Duntryleague for the first 13 years of his life. His father was shipped to the Colony of New South Wales for aiding and assisting in kidnapping a widow, Catherine Sheehan, in November 1833 and imprisoning her for a week in the north of Ireland with several other men, one being his brother-in-law, Daniel Ryan. James Dalton senior was tried on 14 March 1835, and was at first sentenced to death on 8 April; the sentence was shortly afterward commuted to transportation. He was transported to New South Wales in 1835 on the convict ship the Hive, on its second voyage to Australia, when James Dalton junior was less than a year old. When James senior reached Australia, the Hive was wrecked near Jervis Bay with one fatality whilst it sailed along the coast. He arrived in Sydney on Christmas Eve 1835 after the New South Wales Government sent a ship to help salvage the prisoners, soldiers and money the ship was carrying.
James's mother died at some point when his father was in New South Wales, and he was left alone whilst Thomas and Margaret Dalton were in North America. In 1842–43, his father had been released from Bathurst Jail in New South Wales with a ticket of freedom to do as he pleased, including to move back to Ireland, but he chose to stay in Australia and moved to Fredericks Valley, a small mining settlement near Lucknow. In 1847 James' father petitioned for his family to be shipped to New South Wales; James, being the only one in Ireland, was shipped aboard the Panama, accompanied by no-one, to the Colony.
Both Thomas and Margaret Dalton eventually moved to Australia.
Australia When James arrived in Australia in 1847, his father was in a small mining settlement known as Fredericks Valley just out of the settlement of Orange (then known as Blackmans Swamp) near Lucknow, between Blackmans Swamp and Bathurst running a small shop for the miners. Together, James senior and James junior, ran a small wood and bark clad shop in Fredericks Valley. In 1851, James senior remarried Joanna Hogan in St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, and together they have another three children. After he remarried, James senior moved to Orange (Blackmans Swamp Creek) and opened another store with his new wife and James junior. James senior became a publican at the Daniel O'Connell Inn. In 1858, Thomas Dalton, James junior's older brother, returned from Canada and arrived in Orange, via Sydney. Thomas and James ran the store in Orange which was now known as the Dalton Bros store. In the same year, James junior married Margaret Mary Collins, the eldest child of John, who was the proprietor of the Springside Inn, and Jane Collins. The Collins' had moved to New South Wales in 1841 as bounty immigrants. James and Margaret had 12 children.
In 1860, Margaret Dalton, James and Thomas's sister, married an Irishman in the United States, Michael Casey. A year later, Thomas Dalton married Elizabeth Fahy and together they had seven children. In 1865 Margaret (James and Thomas's sister) and Michael moved to Australia. James senior died on 1 January 1860, prior to the arrival of Margaret and Michael Collins. James Dalton senior's widow remarried.
In 1869, James became the Mayor of Orange and an active member of the community. He was also the first captain of the Orange Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1870 and an officer of Orange District Hospital in 1866. In that year his brother Thomas joined him and the firm became known as Dalton Bros. James helped displaced miners and in 1857 promised to build a mill if they grew wheat; his flour-mill was built in 1861, which later became one of the largest and most expensive in the colony. The firm's business expanded until it became the largest wholesale distributor west of the Blue Mountains. They had great success producing roasted and ground coffee and wheat on a large scale. The Dalton Bros Flour Mill also shipped flour to Britain and was very expensive and highly regarded in prestigious shows in England.
Thomas left Orange and moved to Sydney and opened the import and export division of Dalton Bros. He built Dalton House in 1878 on Pitt Street and built stores in Lower Fort Street. Dalton Bros became such a large and influential company, they occupied a dock at Millers Point, Barangaroo. After his first wife died in 1877 at the age of 24 years, Thomas remarried to Mary-Anne Ahern. Thomas received papal knighthood, became mayor of Orange in 1877, represented Orange in the NSW Legislative Assembly between 1882 and 1891 and was a member of the NSW Legislative Council between 1892 and 1901. He died in Sydney on 26 June 1901. His daughter Blanche married Sir Mark Sheldon.
In about 1880, with James running the bulk of the Dalton Bros company, it was worth approximately 125,000, (estimated in 2010, with inflation, GDP, and currency changes, to be worth £9,700,000 Current data is only available till 2010. In 2010, £125000 0s 0d from 1880 is worth £9,700,000.00 using the retail price index or A$14.27 million). Despite exceptional enterprise and business ability James was kindly, unassuming and ever ready to help an Irishman in distress. He was a friend of Cardinal Patrick Moran and Bishop John Dunne and a benefactor of St Mary's Cathedral. James, was appointed a papal knight in 1877 and died, aged 85, on 17 March 1919 at Duntryleague, Orange. He is buried in the Dalton Crypt at the Orange Cemetery. He was predeceased by his wife, he was survived by six sons and six daughters.
Children James and Margaret Dalton had 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls: {| class="wikitable" !Order !Name !Years(if known) !Biographical notes |- |align="center"| ||Thomas Garret Dalton ||align="center" |18591911 ||Known as Gatty, he was first educated at Mr Flannagan's School Orange afterwards going to St Stanislaus College (Bathurst). He graduated from The University of Sydney with a Master of Arts (with honours) and although he studied law, he joined Dalton Bros and became Managing Director. He married May Condon in 1886 and together they had six children. May died in 1895. He then married Mary Butler and they had a further two children. In 1875 James Dalton Jnr built Killarney in Kite Street for Gatty and his family (now known as Mena). He was Mayor of Orange between 1903 and 1905. He was also involved with the hospital, town band and rugby union football. , http://150wiki.orange.nsw.gov.au/index.php/Thomas_Garret_Dalton_1859_-_1911 . |- |align="center"| ||J. J. Dalton ||align="center" |||Studied law and was an Irish nationalist Member of Parliament (MP) for West Donegal from 1890 to 1892. He was the first Australian born member of the British Parliament. |- |align="center"| ||Elanor Redmond Dalton ||align="center" | ||Married Willie Redmond on 24 February 1886 and they had one son who died in 1891, aged five. |- |align="center"| ||John Jack Dalton ||align="center" | ||Was married and worked at Dalton Bros and died age 35 from a short illness |- |align="center"| ||Jane "Jenny" Dalton ||align="center" | ||Died in France |- |align="center"| ||Michael "MF" Dalton ||align="center" | ||Worked in rural areas until later running "Gobabla" and "Kangaroobie" and also the Dalton Bros Company |- |align="center"| ||Winifred Dalton ||align="center" | ||Sacred Heart nun |- |align="center"| ||Elizabeth Dalton ||align="center" | ||Sacred Heart nun |- |align="center"| ||Edward "EB Dick" Dalton ||align="center" | ||Involved in Dalton Bros |- |align="center"| ||Rosie Mckillop ||align="center" | ||Married William Mckillop MP, moved to Ireland, but later moved back to Orange after William died |- |align="center"| ||Patrick Dalton ||align="center" | ||Became a Jesuit priest and professed in Ireland, but later moved back to Australia |- |align="center"| || ||align="center" | ||
Out of the eight of the twelve children of James Dalton that gave offspring, 23 were born.
Influence in Orange and New South Wales James Dalton was a major influence on the running of Orange and the surrounding areas. James Dalton was the mayor of Orange in 1869, he was a major influence on the train line going through to Orange, he built outstanding homes throughout the Orange area with commanding views over the whole region. James was also a key person in the construction of the famous Cook Park in Central Orange taking up an entire city block. He was also one of the major firms and families to fund the building of the band stand and the James Dalton Fountain, http://www.daltondatabank.org/Chronicles/Dalton_Bros_Orange.htm. Since he was Irish Catholic and very wealthy he was one of the most powerful Catholic men in the colony, he funded the construction of Orange's St Joseph's Catholic Church.
Buildings constructed and owned by James Dalton in Orange He also built many of Oranges famous buildings such as: Duntryleague Mansion, Woodward Street (1876) When it was built it was one of the colony's grandest homes. It was built for approximately 50,000 pounds (today it would be equal to 3,522,000 Australian dollars (approx) or 2,285,000 British pounds), Historic Currency Converter. It is now one of Australia's most prestigious golf courses. , additional text. When James became a papal knight, he was given a stunning stained glass window by the Vatican for his services to the church which is on display in Duntryleague's grand staircase., Central Western Daily. It is on the National Heritage List. Kangaroobie Homestead (1881) Galbally Byng Street - It is on the State Heritage List Mena, Kite Street (1875). James built it for his sons but was later turned into a maternity hospital in the 1930s. It was then turned into a block of flats but has since been renovated and converted to its former glory. - It is on the National Heritage List. The Dalton Bros Shop buildings, Summer Street (1865) Ammerdown Homestead - It is on the National Heritage List. Adare Look Out Australia Hall (Australia Cinema) Dalton Wool Stores