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.

[2] 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.

[3][4] 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.

[7] 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.

[citation needed] Thomas left Orange and moved to Sydney and opened the import and export division of Dalton Bros.

[10] Despite exceptional enterprise and business ability James was kindly, unassuming and ever ready to help an Irishman in distress.

[citation needed] He was a friend of Cardinal Patrick Moran and Bishop John Dunne and a benefactor of St Mary's Cathedral.

James was also a key person in the construction of the famous Cook Park in Central Orange taking up an entire city block.

Shorthorn cattle were also run on "Kangaroobie" and other Dalton properties, and bullocks were sent to the western stations for finishing in good seasons.

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 Jackson.

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.

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.