[1] His father, Alex Cadden, was a Scottish emigrant and a Presbyterian; his mother Euphemia Brough was an assisted immigrant from England.

[8] As the municipality's functions grew he became pound-keeper and inspector of markets, often in the news for taking people to court for disregarding the city regulations.

[10] He was an inveterate competitor at agricultural shows in and around Ballarat, extending his range across the decade to include prizes for cattle and fat lambs, vegetables and flowers.

These include: On 10 July 1874 he chaired the meeting that founded the Ballarat Branch of the Australian Natives' Association (ANA), and was elected its first president.

"[24] The demand for privilege treatment for Australian born drew a favourable response with every ANA branch reporting its members "most happy to co-operate".

[29] This approach coincided with the discovery of new deposits of gold locally with resultant greater prosperity coupled with energetic promotion lead to increased membership of the young organisation.

There were essays delivered to branch meeting that were both nationalistic and racist on such subjects as: Cadden also used symbols to foster nationalism such as buying a large Australian flag for display at functions in early 1880.

[21] In an expression of "nativism"[32] he moved a motion at the Ballarat branch of the ANA that a letter of congratulations be sent to Chief Justice Giblin of Tasmania on his appointment as acting governor.

In his speech in support of the motion Cadden said that "this is the first occasion on which an Australian native had occupied such a position of trust and honour, in the colonies, so that it was fitting that the association should take cognisance of the fact".