Australian Dictionary of Biography entry: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dalton-joseph-3358

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Late Father Dalton, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 1915, p 10, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15593319:

The remains of the Very Rev. Joseph Dalton, S.J., the founder and first rector of St. Ignatius College, Riverview, were yesterday removed from Gore Hill Cemetery, where he was buried in January, 1905, and reinterred in the College Chapel, erected to his memory, at Riverview. The prayers at the cemetery were recited by Father Corish, S.J., and at Riverview by the Rector, Father Gartlan, and the community.

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 122-124:

Dalton, Joseph, Very Rev., SJ, Irish
Founder of the Melbourne Advocate and Riverview College
This worthy deserves a place in the 'Australian Dictionary of Biography', if not a specially researched biography. There are preliminary sources to work on: Cardinal Moran's History (p. 120), 'A Seed That Grew' by Fr H. Johnston SJ (p. 52), Melbourne 'Advocate' files, and a wealth of material at the James Alipius Museum (MDHC).

The place of origin was the Diocese of Cashel in County Tipperary and the date of birth, 12 February 1817. He studied at Maynooth; No. 1626 on the list published by Canon Hamill in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, March 1968. Jesuit Houses in Ireland, England, and the Continent would have been places of further study, a list of which is not on the MDHC files at the time of writing. A Jesuit is always a mature person at the time of ordination, hence Joseph was 32 when ordained on 2 June 1849. Where he gave 17 years of service after ordination hasn't been ascertained.

At the age of 49 the experienced missioner stepped off the 'Great Britain' on 18 February 1866, marking the coming of the second lot of Jesuits to Melbourne. Bishop Goold who had succeeded in bringing the Jesuits to Australia (first houses of foundation being in Melbourne) was destined to rely heavily on the Order in works of advancement. It could be claimed that he had two special favourites, the oratorical and squeaky-voiced William Kelly, and Joseph Dalton. The former was usually compliant and pliant, the latter less so. In fact, Dalton openly disagreed with the Bishop in the 1872 Elections for the Victorian Parliament, when the education and schools controversy was at its height of bitterness and recrimination.

A few extracts from the Dalton Diary (manuscript held by the MDHC) are revealing in their entries: 22.6.1872: Mr O'Grady (a close friend residing near the Jesuits at Richmond), hearing of the intended Pastoral (Goold's) called on me in great alarm. I went with him to the Bishop to urge on him the impolicy of publication. It would only arouse bitterness .. No use. He would publish ... Sunday 23.6 ... The Pastoral read in every church. 24.6 ... ; A howl of indignation from all quarters. The Pastoral, Church, Bishop dragged through the mire. Catholics in dismay and grief. Elections lost. Bigotry roused. Francis and his party jubilant. Friends of the Duffy administration are hopelessly crushed ... 27.6. ... Strange rumours going about concerning the Pastoral being shown to Francis and Cohen on the Friday before it was read. They were delighted. Rumour that copies were supplied to all papers and that a priest sold the Pass for £500. Here the difference of view is apparent and is worthy of a closer study by a MDHC researcher. A summary of activities of Dalton must necessarily be restricted. The writer is simply striving to fan the flames of further research. Here are just a few items: Jesuit Superior 1870-2, and again in 1879, replacing Thomas Cahill in the first period. In charge at St. Patrick's College, East Melbourne, training students for the professions as well as students for the priesthood. Popular retreat master for clergy and laity. Intent on fostering the Children of Mary Sodality; opening the first branch in Geelong on 16 July 1867. Responsible for obtaining site of St. Ignatius, Richmond; opened on 13 March 1870. Responsible for the building of St. Ignatius Presbytery; first occupied on 12 June 1872 (Dalton Diary). Responsible for obtaining land for the Immaculate Conception Church complex in Hawthorn and land in the Xavier College complex. Prominent on the Catholic Education Committee and in setting up a Catholic College at Melbourne University (Delayed action in this matter). Founder of the Crusader Temperance Society in 1876. Preacher by episcopal invitation at the laying of foundation stones, e.g. St. Joseph's Church, Warrnambool on 28 February 1870. Founder of the Melbourne 'Advocate' with Michael O'Grady and S.V. Winter in 1868 ... And as pointed out this list of achievements is restrictive.

No wonder the address of farewell in Melbourne was vociferous when Joseph was assigned the task of opening the first Jesuit house in Sydney in 1876. St. Kilda, Woolloomooloo the first venture has passed into oblivion, but the Dalton leadership record endures. The stones of Riverview cry out: here was a man of many interests, a priestly man, a worthy pioneer. The 87 year old died at Riverview on 4 January 1905, having attained a Golden Jubilee and given 39 years to the planting of the vineyard in Australia. His remains were interred at Gore Hill, but transferred to Riverview on 12 July 1915.

Many achievements and perhaps a number of worries; notably being charged with kidnapping children that he has placed in the charge of the Good Shepherd nuns at Abbotsford. The Supreme Court dismissed the charge. May this and other activities be one day probed by the researcher and biographer!
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 6)
Information: As quoted, with special emphasis on the MDHC holdings at the James Alipius Goold Museum.

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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Dalton, Joseph

Teacher and administrator; born Waterford, Ireland, 12 February 1817; died St Ignatius' College, Riverview, Sydney, 4 January 1905, aged 87.

Joseph Dalton was the third of two sons and four daughters of Patrick and Mary (née Foley) Dalton, married 15 January 1809 at Slieverue/Glenmore. In 1841 they were living at 11 Michael Street, Waterford.

The Jesuits educated Dalton at St Stanislaus' College, Tullabeg, 1833-34, and Clongowes Wood College, 1834-36. The fees for two years for the latter were £71.0.0, indicating that the family was comfortably placed.

On completing his schooling, Dalton was admitted to the Society of Jesus by Father Patrick Bracken, the Irish Provincial on 16 December 1836. For the next two years he completed his noviciate at Hodder House Stonyhurst, England, and on 17 December 1838 took his vows before the master of novices, Thomas Brownhill.

Dalton was immediately sent to Clongowes Wood College as division prefect until 1846, when he went to France to recover his health and study philosophy at Lyons. Because of the French revolution of 1848, he returned to Ireland and was ordained to the priesthood prematurely on 2 June 1849 by Dr. Daniel Murray, Archbishop of Dublin, at Maynooth. A further year of teaching grammar and algebra at Clongowes followed in 1851, before returning to England and St Beuno's, Wales, to complete his theological studies. In 1854 he returned to a non-teaching role at Clongowes, mainly administration, and completing his Jesuit studies, tertianship, in 1857. Dalton was appointed rector of St Stanislaus' College, Tullabeg, 9 October 1861. During his time as rector, the school expanded to enable boys to complete their secondary education for the first time, and he improved the quality of the school buildings and scholastic standards. He was appreciated for his kindly yet military approach to discipline and good order. He remained at Tullabeg until October 1865, when he was volunteered for the newly formed Irish Jesuit Mission in Australia. He was in his 50th year. His Irish colleagues of the time described him as a man of great energy and vision, who communicated a driving ambition for the success of any venture to which he committed himself.

He arrived in Melbourne and resided in the parish of Richmond in 1866 as superior of the Jesuit mission in Australia and remained superior until 1872. He was also rector of St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, 1867-71. He was nominated superior of the mission again, 1 November 1879 until 2 September 1883. The Jesuits worked the 'Richmond Mission', which included the suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell, from 1886, and Dalton began building the church of St Ignatius' at Richmond, which was completed in 1870. The building of the church of the Immaculate Conception at Hawthorn was opened for worship in 1869, but did not become a separate parish until 1881. Dalton also bought sixty-nine acres of land for Xavier College at Kew in 1871, which opened in 1878. The college produced many distinguished alumni, especially in the medical and legal professions.

On 14 October 1869 Dalton accompanied the Bishop of Melbourne, Dr. Goold, to New Zealand. Discussion eventuated with the Bishop of Dunedin, Patrick Moran, about the possibility of establishing a Jesuit college and parish. In the short term insufficient manpower prevented the establishment of St Aloysius' College, Waikari [Wakari], and the parish of Invercargill, until 1878. Continuing manpower shortage resulted in the college closure in 1883 and the hand-over of the parish in 1889.

Dalton moved to Sydney in 1878, where he started St Kilda House (1879), later named St Aloysius' College, and was its rector for one year. He provided Jesuits for the parish of St Mary's, North Sydney, 1878, and established St Ignatius' College, Riverview, with its 118 acres, in 1880 with 26 pupils. He was its first rector until 1888, when he was 71 years old. During this time he also did parish work in Sydney. From then until 1893 he was assistant to the rector, supervised the farm and garden and was spiritual father to the community and boys. From 1895-1903, he was assistant bursar and spiritual father. He did no teaching. He finally died of old age after suffering from rheumatism. Upon his death, plans were immediately accepted to build a chapel as his memorial, which was completed in 1909.

Upon his arrival in Melbourne, Dalton described the Catholic people as very needy, not practicing religion, and having slight education. He believed that they were oblivious to God and the sacraments because of bad example, mixed marriages, drunkenness, poverty and hard work, and only thought of a priest at the hour of death. He noted that if parents were like that, what hope had the children. Later, he observed with concern that many Catholic boys were educated in colleges run by heretics, which was a great danger to the faith. Many Melbourne Catholics had petitioned him for a boarding school, which was considered essential to 'prevent another generation of Catholic youth being educated in non-Catholic schools.' Xavier College was opened in response to this need.

Dalton's former students, including Australian poet Christopher Brennan and Sir Mark Sheldon, revered him for his genial and warm-hearted character, unaffected manner and gentleness. They were strongly influenced by his concern for them as people. He was also a keen judge of character. His firm but kindly style was recalled: 'I would rather take a hiding than hear Dalton say he is surprised and pained, because I know he is speaking the truth, and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.' Patrick Keating, later superior of the mission and rector of Riverview, wrote that 'Fr. Dalton is a man of most wonderful influence with outsiders. I don't think there is a priest in Australia who is more known and respected than he is...' Dalton's wisdom, tact and common sense made him the friend and confidant of bishops, especially the Bishop of Maitland, Bishop Murray. He won respect from vice-royalty and members of parliament, including Lord Carrington, Sir Edward Strickland, and Sir Charles and Sir Frank Gavan Duffy, as well as distinguished overseas visitors such as William Redmond, the old Home Rule campaigner. Dalton always remained unequivocally Irish, but he showed no animosity to England or Englishman.

His diaries reveal a restrained and diplomatic man, of considerable warmth, but above all, practical, black and white and pious. They also indicate a substantial range of prejudices, such as democracy - he never liked the outspokenness of the boys. He showed a strong consciousness of religious differences, combined with a friendly ecumenical spirit. Non-Catholic boys were treated justly. However, one's religion could be used to explain a good or evil action, although the evidence was not always strong one-way or the other! He was quick to note the efficacy of Catholic practices, such as the wearing of the scapular. When commenting on the worthiness of a man to become a Jesuit brother, he thought he would make a good 'religious', praising him for being a very steady, sensible, pious man, very humble and docile. He had an aversion to alcohol, especially among the employees who were frequently drunk, yet he allowed the boys to be served wine on feast days.

Dalton was not an innovator in education, nor a scholar or intellectual, but a simple and courageous man with extraordinary strength. He founded four colleges and gave them the traditional Jesuit character of the European model. He accepted existing standards of the educated Catholic gentleman, and communicated these to others. His spirituality was pious and practical; religious beliefs demanded application to real life. He was concerned for the faith of Catholic students, their academic progress, and character development, keen that they be influential in the development of Australia. His educational views were religious and academic, hoping to provide what was necessary for the sound development of students. The pattern of schools and parishes and basic style of educational practice established by Dalton still remains strong in the works of the Society in Australia.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)