Joseph Walton

Background

The son of a watchmaker, Walton was born in Canada, but it was in England on 19 July 1851 that he was convicted of burglary and sentenced to ten years" penal servitude.

Career

Walton was transported to Western Australia on the Dudbrook, arriving in February 1853. After obtaining his ticket of leave, he worked as a carpenter. Walton took up land at Greenough, and built a hotel there.

In the late 1860s and early 1870s Greenough suffered severely from flood, bushfire, wheat rust and sheep scab.

Correctly anticipating a recession, Walton sold his hotel in 1872, and purchased a small coastal trading boat, the Alexandra. The couple then sailed for Singapore, where they had a son.

Eventually Georgina Roe discovered her husband"s bigamy, and in 1876 Walton left Singapore for Hong Kong. He did not return.

Achievements

• Later he won a number of contracts to build government buildings, including a one-room school, a police station and a courthouse.