James Dalton (Orange, Australia)
Encyclopedia
James Dalton was a wealthy merchant and pastoralist that lived during the 19th and 20th centuries in Orange
, New South Wales
, Australia
. He was the patriarch of the wealthy Irish Australian Dalton Family.
James was the youngest of three children, the eldest, his brother, was Thomas Dalton and then his sister, Margaret Dalton, who both eventually moved to Australia.
, Ireland
as the second son of James Dalton and his first wife Eleanor Dalton (née Ryan). He lived in Duntryleague, Limerick, for the first 13 years of his life while his father had been shipped to the Colony of New South Wales
for kidnapping a widower, Catherine Sheehan, and imprisoning her for a week in Northern Ireland with several other men, one being his brother-in-law, Daniel Ryan, in November 1833. James Dalton's father was tried on the 14 March 1835, and was at first sentenced to death on the 8 April of that year, which was shortly after changed to transportation. He was transported to New South Wales on the convict ship the Hive on its second voyage to Australia
, in 1835, while James Dalton Junior was less than a year old. When James' father got to Australia, the Hive was wrecked near Jervis Bay
with one fatality as it was coming along the coast. His father arrived in Sydney
on Christmas Eve
of the year of 1835 after the New South Wales Government sent a ship to help salvage the prisoners, soldiers and money the ship was carrying.
His mother died some time while his father was in New South Wales, and he was left alone while his older brother, Thomas, and sister, Margaret, were in North America
. In 1842-43, his father had been let out of 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, so he did, 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, so James being the only one in Ireland, he was shipped aboard the Panama
, alone, to the colony.
(then known as Blackmans Swamp) near Lucknow, between Blackmans Swamp and Bathurst running a small shop for the miners. Together, father and son, they ran the small wood and bark clad shop in Fredericks Valley.
In 1851, James's father remarries a woman known as Joanna Hogan in Saint Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, whom he goes on to have another three children with. After he is remarried, he moved into Orange (Blackmans Swamp Creek) and opened another store with his new wife and James.
James's father then became a publican for the Daniel O'connell Inn. Then in 1858, Thomas Dalton, James's older brother, returned from Canada
, and arrived in Sydney and came out to Orange and ran the store in Orange with James which was now known as the Dalton Bro's Store.
In the same year, James Married Margaret Mary Collins, the eldest child of John, who was the proprietor of the Springside Inn, and Jane Collins, who moved to New South Wales
in 1841 as Bounty immigrants. James and Margaret eventually go on to have 12 children. (Listed below)
Then in 1860, Margaret Dalton, James and Thomas's sister, married an Irishman in America
, Michael Casey. Then in 1861, Thomas Dalton Married Elizabeth Fahy and had seven children. Then in 1865 Margaret (James and Thomas's sister) and Michael move to Australia, but unfortunately, James, their father, died on January 1 in 1860. So unfortunately the father never got to see all three of his children together. James Dalton Senior's widow goes on and remarries.
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 Bro's Flower Mill also shipped flour to Britain
and was very expensive and highly regarded in prestigious shows in England
.
Then Thomas moved to Sydney, and opened the importing/exporting part of Dalton Bro's. He built Dalton House in 1878 on Pitt Street and built stores in Lower Fort Street. Dalton Bro's became such a large and influential company, they occupy a dock at Millers Point in Sydney Harbour. Thomas then got remarried to Mary-Anne Ahern after his first wife died in 1877 at the age of 24 years.
At that time, with James running the bulk of the Dalton Bro's Company, it was worth approximately 125,000 pounds. (today, with inflation and GDP changes comes to around $134,000,000.00).
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. He then received a papal knighthood in 1877.
He 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.
Thomas, a papal knight, became mayor of Orange in 1877, represented Orange in the assembly in 1882-91 and was a member of the Legislative Council
in 1892-1901. He died in Sydney on 26 June 1901. His daughter Blanche married Sir Mark Sheldon.
Only 8 of the 12 Children could have children, but of the 8, 23 were born.
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 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.
, as well as interests in several stations around Condobolin. The Orange properties alone ran 40,000 sheep, which were shorn – along with sheep from other surrounding properties– at a 32-stand wool shed near the Mullion Creek railway siding. The properties were run as an integrated unit as Dalton Estates, with weaners (Romney/Merino cross) sent from “Kangaroobie” to “Gobabla” to grow out, the wether portion then transferred as wool cutters to “Belowra” and the ewes back to “Kangaroobie”. Shorthorn
cattle were also run on “Kangaroobie” and other Dalton properties, and bullocks were sent to the western stations for finishing in good seasons.
. They also built Dalton House at 25 Pitt Street
(which is no longer standing) to manage the company East of the Blue Mountains and to manage the importing/exporting branch of Dalton Bros.
James had a lot to do John and William Redmond, and while the Redmonds were in Orange
, they wanted to lecture in some of the halls in the district, but the council denied them access and they didn't want to lecture in James's Shop. On this note, James built the Redmonds their own hall the lecture in, it is now known as the Australian Cinema in Lords Place which was a premier cinema in Orange until late 2010, it is now in line to be converted into an evangelical church until the church raises funds to build a new facility.
On 4 September 1884 John Redmond
married Dalton's half-sister Johanna, and then James's eldest daughter, Elanor, On 24 February 1886 in London, married Willie Redmond, which cemented the families bonds and they became renowned partners. Willie Redmond was Promoted to major in World War I
, he was killed in action on 7 June 1917 on Wytschaete Ridge, Belgium
, and was buried in the garden of the hospice at Locre. Elanor returned to Orange and died in Sydney on 31 January 1947, predeceased by their only son.
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was the patriarch of the wealthy Irish Australian Dalton Family.
James was the youngest of three children, the eldest, his brother, was Thomas Dalton and then his sister, Margaret Dalton, who both eventually moved to Australia.
Ireland
James Dalton was born in 1834 in Duntryleague, LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as the second son of James Dalton and his first wife Eleanor Dalton (née Ryan). He lived in Duntryleague, Limerick, for the first 13 years of his life while his father had been shipped to the Colony of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
for kidnapping a widower, Catherine Sheehan, and imprisoning her for a week in Northern Ireland with several other men, one being his brother-in-law, Daniel Ryan, in November 1833. James Dalton's father was tried on the 14 March 1835, and was at first sentenced to death on the 8 April of that year, which was shortly after changed to transportation. He was transported to New South Wales on the convict ship the Hive on its second voyage to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in 1835, while James Dalton Junior was less than a year old. When James' father got to Australia, the Hive was wrecked near Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is a large bay bounded by the state of New South Wales, the Jervis Bay Territory, and a detached enclave of the Australian Capital Territory. HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch in the Jervis Bay Territory.-History:...
with one fatality as it was coming along the coast. His father arrived in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
of the year of 1835 after the New South Wales Government sent a ship to help salvage the prisoners, soldiers and money the ship was carrying.
His mother died some time while his father was in New South Wales, and he was left alone while his older brother, Thomas, and sister, Margaret, were in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In 1842-43, his father had been let out of 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, so he did, 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, so James being the only one in Ireland, he was shipped aboard the Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, alone, to the colony.
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 OrangeOrange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
(then known as Blackmans Swamp) near Lucknow, between Blackmans Swamp and Bathurst running a small shop for the miners. Together, father and son, they ran the small wood and bark clad shop in Fredericks Valley.
In 1851, James's father remarries a woman known as Joanna Hogan in Saint Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, whom he goes on to have another three children with. After he is remarried, he moved into Orange (Blackmans Swamp Creek) and opened another store with his new wife and James.
James's father then became a publican for the Daniel O'connell Inn. Then in 1858, Thomas Dalton, James's older brother, returned from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and arrived in Sydney and came out to Orange and ran the store in Orange with James which was now known as the Dalton Bro's Store.
In the same year, James Married Margaret Mary Collins, the eldest child of John, who was the proprietor of the Springside Inn, and Jane Collins, who moved to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1841 as Bounty immigrants. James and Margaret eventually go on to have 12 children. (Listed below)
Then in 1860, Margaret Dalton, James and Thomas's sister, married an Irishman in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Michael Casey. Then in 1861, Thomas Dalton Married Elizabeth Fahy and had seven children. Then in 1865 Margaret (James and Thomas's sister) and Michael move to Australia, but unfortunately, James, their father, died on January 1 in 1860. So unfortunately the father never got to see all three of his children together. James Dalton Senior's widow goes on and remarries.
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 Bro's Flower Mill also shipped flour to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and was very expensive and highly regarded in prestigious shows in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Then Thomas moved to Sydney, and opened the importing/exporting part of Dalton Bro's. He built Dalton House in 1878 on Pitt Street and built stores in Lower Fort Street. Dalton Bro's became such a large and influential company, they occupy a dock at Millers Point in Sydney Harbour. Thomas then got remarried to Mary-Anne Ahern after his first wife died in 1877 at the age of 24 years.
At that time, with James running the bulk of the Dalton Bro's Company, it was worth approximately 125,000 pounds. (today, with inflation and GDP changes comes to around $134,000,000.00).
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
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Patrick Moran and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
John Dunne
John Dunne
John Dunne may refer to:*John Dunne *John Gregory Dunne , American author*John William Dunne , British engineer and author of An Experiment with Time...
and a benefactor of St Mary's Cathedral. He then received a papal knighthood in 1877.
He 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.
Thomas, a papal knight, became mayor of Orange in 1877, represented Orange in the assembly in 1882-91 and was a member of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
in 1892-1901. He died in Sydney on 26 June 1901. His daughter Blanche married Sir Mark Sheldon.
Children
James and Joanna Dalton had 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls(Note information cannot be found on the last son of James Dalton)- Thomas Garret Dalton (Born in 1859 and was the eldest son of James Dalton Jnr. Known as Gatty he was first educated at Mr Flannagan's School Orange afterwards going to St Stanislaus College (Bathurst)St Stanislaus College (Bathurst)St Stanislaus' College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, conducted by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's priests and brothers...
. He obtained his M A degree with honours at Sydney University. Although he studied law he joined the family Business, Dalton Bros and became Managing Director. He married May Condon in 1886 and with her had six children. May died in 1895. He then married Mary Butler and 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 OrangeOrange, New South WalesOrange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
between 1903-1905. He was also involved with the Hospital, Town Band and Rugby Union football. He died in 1911 aged 52 years.) - James Joseph Dalton (Born 6 February 1861) 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.
- Elanor Redmond (Married Willie Redmond on 24 February 1886. She died 31 January 1947, they had one son who died early in 1891 at the age of five.)
- John Jack Dalton (Was married and worked at Dalton Bro's and died age 35 from a shirt illness).
- Jane "Jenny" Dalton (Died in France)
- Michael "MF" Dalton (Worked in rural areas until later running "Gobabla" and "Kangaroobie" and also the Dalton Bro's Company)
- Winifred Dalton (Sacred Heart Nun)
- Elizabeth Dalton (Sacred Heart Nun)
- Edward "EB Dick" Dalton (Involved in Dalton Bro's)
- Rosie Mckillop (Married William Mckillop MP, moved to Ireland, but later moved back to Orange after William died)
- Patrick Dalton (became a Jesuit priest and professed in Ireland, but later moved back to Australia)
Only 8 of the 12 Children could have children, but of the 8, 23 were born.
Influence in Orange and New South Wales
James Dalton was a major influence on the running of OrangeOrange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
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 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 3,522,000.00 Australian Dollars (approx) or 2,285,000.00 British Pounds) It is now one of Australia's most prestigious golf courses. 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. 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
- Dalton Bros first flower Mill - North East Corner of Summer and Sale Streets ("The formal opening of Messrs. Dalton Bros. new flour mill took place to-day, and was celebrated with a banquet, at which over 300 persons sat down. Mr. James Dalton occupied the chair, and there were present Messer’s. Torps, M.L A., J. T, Lane, P. M.., the Mayors of Orange and East Orange, and most of the leading citizens. The mill was started by the Misses Jane and Winifred Dalton, daughters of the proprietors. The erection of the mill was started 12 month ago, the building being from plans by Messer’s. A. D. Nelson and Co., Sydney, who contracted for the erection of all the machinery. The machinery was made by Messer’s Hind and Lund, of Preston, Lancashire, England. In the meantime while, the construction of the mill was going on the ironwork was being constructed by Messer’s A. D. Nelson in Sydney. The machinery is considerably heavier than that in any other mill in New South Wales There are five brake roller mills 40in. Long and 10in. in diameter. The reduction plant contains nine sets of rollers, each 25in. long and 10in. in diameter, and each of the mills has four rollers. There are 17 acts of elevators. On the second floor is the Atlas purifiers, so constructed as to dispense with storeroom and dust collectors. On the third floor are the centrifugals and scalpers. On the floor are more centrifugals and brake reels. In the basement the shafting for driving the reduction and brake rolls extends the full length of the building. One feature of the machinery is that the motive power is in every case direct from the engine to each line of shafting. The new building contains 300,000 bricks, and 12,000 yards of earth were excavated for the foundations. The plant is said to be the largest and most expensive in the colony" - from the The Sydney Morning Herald - Tuesday 19 April 1892). The mill ceased production in 1908 when the Dalton Bros new mill was opened (below).
- Dalton Bros second flower Mill - Peisley Street, across from Wade Park OvalWade ParkWade Park is a sports ground located in the town of Orange, New South Wales, Australia.The park has hosted a number of competitive A-League matches featuring the Central Coast Mariners FC - in 2006's Pre-Season against Adelaide United , and then again in 2007 when the Mariners and Queensland Roar...
opened in 1908 to replace the earlier mill (above). The Mill ceased Production in 1956 and most of it was torn down in 1965, however a section still remains.
Pastoral holdings across New South Wales
By the time of James’ death in 1919, the family’s Orange district landholdings encompassed more than 30,000 ha extending from the town boundary to Mullion Creek, 20 km to the north. In addition, the Dalton's owned the 11,000ha “Gobabla” at Nevertire and “Belowra” (20,000ha) near NymageeNymagee
Nymagee is a small town in the north west of New South Wales, situated 618 kilometres north west of Sydney, 130 kilometres south west of Nyngan and 89 kilometres south of Cobar. It is in the Shire of Cobar, The State Government area of Barwon and the Federal Government area of Calare...
, as well as interests in several stations around Condobolin. The Orange properties alone ran 40,000 sheep, which were shorn – along with sheep from other surrounding properties– at a 32-stand wool shed near the Mullion Creek railway siding. The properties were run as an integrated unit as Dalton Estates, with weaners (Romney/Merino cross) sent from “Kangaroobie” to “Gobabla” to grow out, the wether portion then transferred as wool cutters to “Belowra” and the ewes back to “Kangaroobie”. Shorthorn
Shorthorn
The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late 18th century. The breed was developed as dual purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however there were always certain blood lines within the breed which emphasised one quality or the other...
cattle were also run on “Kangaroobie” and other Dalton properties, and bullocks were sent to the western stations for finishing in good seasons.
Sydney Holdings
James Dalton was very influential throughout the colony and owned land and buildings across New South Wales. When James and his brother became partners, they built stores in lower Fort Street and had one of the largest owned wharfs and bond and free warehouses at Millers Point on Port JacksonPort Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
. They also built Dalton House at 25 Pitt Street
Pitt Street, Sydney
Pitt Street is a major street in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sections after a substantial stretch of it was removed to make way for Sydney's...
(which is no longer standing) to manage the company East of the Blue Mountains and to manage the importing/exporting branch of Dalton Bros.
John and William Redmond
James Dalton provided funds and leadership for the Irish nationalist movement in New South Wales. In 1882 his presiding over an Irish Land League meeting was questioned in the Legislative Assembly. He was closely associated with the visit of the Irish nationalists, John and William Redmond, to the colony in 1883. As president of the local branch of the Irish National League, Dalton with two other magistrates signed an address of welcome to Redmond, which praised their 'resolute resistance to the oppressive proceedings of a foreign senate.James had a lot to do John and William Redmond, and while the Redmonds were in Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, they wanted to lecture in some of the halls in the district, but the council denied them access and they didn't want to lecture in James's Shop. On this note, James built the Redmonds their own hall the lecture in, it is now known as the Australian Cinema in Lords Place which was a premier cinema in Orange until late 2010, it is now in line to be converted into an evangelical church until the church raises funds to build a new facility.
On 4 September 1884 John Redmond
John Redmond
John Edward Redmond was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party from 1900 to 1918...
married Dalton's half-sister Johanna, and then James's eldest daughter, Elanor, On 24 February 1886 in London, married Willie Redmond, which cemented the families bonds and they became renowned partners. Willie Redmond was Promoted to major in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was killed in action on 7 June 1917 on Wytschaete Ridge, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and was buried in the garden of the hospice at Locre. Elanor returned to Orange and died in Sydney on 31 January 1947, predeceased by their only son.