James Dalton (pastoralist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Dalton
Personal details
Born	1834 Duntryleague, Limerick, Ireland
Died	17 March 1919 Duntryleague House, Orange, New South Wales
Nationality	Irish Australian
Spouse	Margaret Mary Collins
Relations	Thomas Dalton (Brother), Margaret Dalton (Sister)
Children	12 Children (listed below)
Residences	Limerick, Ireland, Fredericks Valley (Between Orange and Bathurst), Orange, New South Wales
Occupation	Catholic Lay Leader, Flour Miller, General Merchant, Grazier, Shop Keeper

James Dalton (born 1834 in County Limerick, Ireland – died 1919 in Orange, New South Wales) was a very successful Australian businessman. He was a merchant and a pastoralist, meaning he owned large areas of land for farming. James Dalton was also a strong supporter of the Catholic Church and helped improve how food was distributed across the colony. He was the leader of the important and wealthy Dalton family, who came from Ireland.

James Dalton's Early Life and Journey

Growing Up in Ireland

James Dalton was born in 1834 in Duntryleague, County Limerick, Ireland. He was the second son of James Dalton and Eleanor Ryan. He had an older brother, Thomas, and an older sister, Margaret. James lived in Duntryleague for his first 13 years.

When James was less than a year old, his father moved to the Colony of New South Wales in 1835. He traveled on a ship called the Hive. After his father arrived in Australia, James's mother passed away. His brother Thomas and sister Margaret were in North America at the time.

In 1842–43, James's father was able to live freely in New South Wales. He chose to stay in Australia and moved to Fredericks Valley. This was a small mining area near Lucknow. In 1847, James's father asked for his family to join him. James was the only one still in Ireland. He traveled alone to the colony aboard a ship called the Panama.

Eventually, both Thomas and Margaret Dalton also moved to Australia.

Starting Fresh in Australia

The Dalton Bros Stores on Summer Street, Orange, built in the 1870s.

When James arrived in Australia in 1847, his father was running a small shop. It was in Fredericks Valley, a mining settlement near Orange. James and his father worked together at this small shop.

In 1851, James's father married Joanna Hogan. They had three more children together. After getting married, James's father moved to Orange and opened another store. James junior helped run this new store.

In 1858, James's older brother, Thomas Dalton, returned from Canada. He joined James in Orange, and their store became known as the Dalton Bro's store. In the same year, James married Margaret Mary Collins. She was the oldest child of John and Jane Collins, who had moved to New South Wales in 1841. James and Margaret had 12 children together.

The Dalton family business grew quickly. In 1866, James's brother Thomas joined him, and the company became Dalton Bros. James helped miners who had lost their jobs. He promised to build a flour mill if they grew wheat. His flour mill was built in 1861. It became one of the biggest and most expensive mills in the colony.

The Dalton Bros company became the largest wholesale distributor west of the Blue Mountains. They were very successful at producing roasted coffee and large amounts of wheat flour. Their flour was even shipped to Britain and was highly praised in shows there.

Thomas Dalton later moved to Sydney. He opened the import and export part of Dalton Bros there. He built Dalton House in 1878 on Pitt Street. Dalton Bros became such a big company that they even had their own dock at Millers Point in Barangaroo.

James Dalton was a very important person in Orange. In 1869, he became the Mayor of Orange. He was also the first captain of the Orange Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1870. He helped lead the Orange District Hospital in 1866. James was a friend of important Catholic leaders like Cardinal Patrick Moran. In 1877, he was given a special honor by the Pope, becoming a papal knight.

James Dalton passed away on March 17, 1919, at his home in Orange. He was 85 years old. He is buried in the Dalton family crypt at the Orange Cemetery. He had six sons and six daughters who survived him.

James Dalton's Family

James and Margaret Dalton had 12 children, six boys and six girls:

Out of James Dalton's twelve children, eight of them had children of their own, totaling 23 grandchildren.

Making a Mark: James Dalton's Impact

James Dalton had a huge impact on the town of Orange and the areas around it. As Mayor of Orange in 1869, he was very important in getting the train line extended to Orange. He also built many grand homes in the Orange area.

James was a key person in creating the famous Cook Park in Central Orange. This park takes up an entire city block! He and his family also helped fund the park's bandstand and the James Dalton Fountain. Because he was a wealthy Irish Catholic, he was one of the most powerful Catholic men in the colony. He helped pay for the building of Orange's St Joseph's Catholic Church.

Key Buildings in Orange

James Dalton built or owned many famous buildings in Orange, such as:

• Duntryleague Mansion, Woodward Street (1876). This was one of the grandest homes in the colony when it was built. It cost about £50,000, which would be like A$3.5 million today. It is now a very famous golf course. The Vatican even gave James a beautiful stained glass window for his services to the church. This window is still on display in Duntryleague. It is listed on the National Heritage List.
• Kangaroobie Homestead (1881).
• Galbally on Byng Street. This building is on the State Heritage List.
• Mena, Kite Street (1875). James built this for his sons. It later became a hospital and then flats, but has now been restored. It is on the National Heritage List.
• The Dalton Bros Shop buildings, Summer Street (1865).
• Ammerdown Homestead. This is on the National Heritage List.
• Adare.
• Look Out.
• Australia Hall (Australia Cinema).
• Dalton Wool Stores.
• Dalton Bros first flour Mill. This mill opened in 1892 and was very advanced for its time. It was replaced by a new mill in 1908.
• Dalton Bros second flour Mill. This mill opened in 1908 on Peisley Street. Most of it was torn down in 1965, but a part of it still remains.

Vast Land Holdings Across NSW

By the time James passed away in 1919, his family owned a huge amount of land. In the Orange area alone, they had over 30,000 hectares (about 74,000 acres). This land stretched from the town to Mullion Creek, 20 km north.

The Daltons also owned "Gobabla" (11,000 hectares) near Nevertire. They owned "Belowra" (20,000 hectares) near Nymagee. They also had interests in other properties around Condobolin. The Orange properties alone had 40,000 sheep. These sheep were shorn at a large wool shed near Mullion Creek. The properties were run as one big farm called Dalton Estates. They also raised Shorthorn cattle on "Kangaroobie" and other Dalton properties.

Business in Sydney

James Dalton was very influential across the entire colony. He owned land and buildings all over New South Wales. When James and his brother became business partners, they built stores in lower Fort Street. They also owned one of the largest wharfs and warehouses at Millers Point on Port Jackson.

They also built Dalton House at 115 Pitt Street in Sydney. This building helped them manage the company's business east of the Blue Mountains. It also managed the importing and exporting part of Dalton Bros.

Supporting Irish Nationalists

James Dalton provided money and leadership for the Irish nationalist movement in New South Wales. This movement aimed for Ireland to have more control over its own government. In 1882, his involvement in an Irish Land League meeting was discussed in the local government.

He was very involved when Irish nationalist leaders, John and William Redmond, visited the colony in 1883. James was the president of the local Irish National League. He and two other leaders welcomed the Redmonds. They praised their "strong resistance to the unfair actions of a foreign parliament."

James Dalton helped John and William Redmond a lot. When the Redmonds were in Orange, they wanted to give talks in the local halls. However, the council would not let them use the halls. They also did not want to speak in James's shop. So, James built the Redmonds their own hall for lectures! This building is now known as the Australian Cinema in Lords Place.

On September 4, 1884, John Redmond married James Dalton's half-sister, Johanna. Then, on February 24, 1886, in London, James's eldest daughter, Elanor, married Willie Redmond. These marriages made the families even closer. Willie Redmond became a major in World War I. He was killed in action in Belgium on June 7, 1917. Elanor returned to Orange and passed away in Sydney in 1947.

Images for kids

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  James Dalton, Mayor of Orange in 1869.