Joseph Dalton (2 December 1817 – 4 January 1905) was an Irish Jesuit priest born in Waterford.[1]
Life and ministry
He was educated at the Jesuit colleges of Clongowes Wood College and St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg and entered the Society of Jesus in December 1836.[1] He was ordained in 1850.[2] He studied and served at various Jesuit institutions in Ireland and returned to Tullabeg where he had also taught in 1839–1840 and served as Rector from 1861–1865.[3]
He led the first Irish Jesuit mission to Australia in 1866.[4] He was responsible for the development of a number of churches and educational institutions.[5] He oversaw the transfer of St Patrick's College, East Melbourne to the Jesuits and subsequently purchased land in 1872 upon which Xavier College, Kew, was built. It opened in 1878.[1]
He also served in New Zealand for a time, where in 1878 he founded Saint Aloysius’ College, Dunedin.[6]
In Sydney, he founded Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview & St Aloysius' College. He was Rector of Riverview, New South Wales.[7] After his retirement in 1883 he lived at Riverview, where he died on 5 January 1905.[1]
The Chapel of Riverview was later erected to his memory.[1]
His younger brother James was also a Jesuit priest.[2]
References
- 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5]Strong, David. "Dalton, Joseph". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- 2.[2.2]"Dalton, Joseph". Jesuit Archives. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- 3.Jesuits at Tullabeg By Francis Finegan, www.rahanparish.ie
- 4.Jones, Ross. "A story often graced, but sometimes grim". Jesuits Australia. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- 5.Fr. Joseph Dalton SJ by G. J. O'Kelly, Dictionary of Australian Biography.
- 6.A history of the Jesuits in Australia Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Australian Jesuits
- 7.Joseph Dalton, S.J.: First Irish Jesuit Mission in Australia by Thomas J. Morrissey SJ, An Irish Quarterly Review Vol. 89, No. 353 (Spring, 2000), Irish Province of the Society of Jesus.