James Ashton (8 May 1864 – 6 August 1939) was an Australian newspaperman, politician and businessman. As a politician he represented electorates in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1894 to 1907 and later held a seat in the Legislative Council Ashton was Minister for Lands in the Carruthers government from 1904 to 1907.
From 1888 to 1892 Ashton was a joint-owner of The Riverine Grazier in Hay and sole proprietor of the Narrandera Argus in Narrandera from 1892 to 1896. He entered politics as the member for the Hay electorate in July 1894. After two terms he successfully contested the 1898 election for the Goulburn electorate, remaining the member until 1907. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1907, where he served until 1934. Ashton was a respected businessman who was a director of a number of influential companies.
Biography
Early life
James Ashton was born on 8 May 1864 at Ashby, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, the fifth child of James Ashton and Mary Ann Kinsman (née Brittan). James Ashton (senior) was a coffee-roaster by occupation.Martha Rutledge (1979), James Ashton (1864–1939), Australian Dictionary of Biography website, National Centre of Biology, Australian National University; accessed 28 April 2025.
In about 1871 the Ashton family moved to Sandhurst (Bendigo) where young James was educated at Sandhurst Grammar School for several years.James Ashton: A Big Australian, Riverine Grazier, (Hay), 8 August 1939, pages 2 and 4. In about 1874 Ashton's father's "business affairs went awry... during the gold rush era".Mr. James Ashton, Macleay Chronicle (Kempsey), 9 August 1939, page 7. James had to leave school, aged ten, and began working in a local printing office (receiving an initial wage of two shillings and sixpence for a 54-hour week).
In about 1877 the Ashton family moved to Echuca, on the Murray River bordering New South Wales. Ashton, then aged thirteen years, was employed by two of the local newspapers.
Hay
In the early 1880s Ashton came to Hay on the Murrumbidgee River, in the Riverina district of New South Wales, where he joined the staff of the Hay Standard as a compositor. At Hay Ashton met and became friends with John Johnston, a young man of his own age.Obituary: Mr. John Johnston, O.B.E., Riverine Grazier, 3 November 1939, page 2.
By 1884 Ashton had joined the clerical staff at the Hay office of Cramsie, Bowden and Co. who operated as general merchants, station suppliers and river steamboat owners, with headquarters at Balranald and branches in Sydney and Melbourne.Kicked to Death, Riverine Grazier, 5 March 1884, page 2. After "acquiring a general knowledge of local grazing conditions and localities", Ashton was transferred to Melbourne towards the end of 1885. At about the same time his friend, John Johnston, also left the township after accepting a similar position in Sydney at the Equitable Assurance Company of New Zealand.
Ashton and Johnston kept in touch by correspondence and in early 1888 a business opportunity arose that enabled them both to return to Hay. The Hay newspaper The Riverine Grazier had been offered for sale by its founder and the two young men decided to form a partnership to purchase the journal. The ownership of the newspaper was transferred to the partnership of Johnston and Ashton for the sum of two thousand pounds on 1 April 1888, with Ashton taking on the role of editor and Johnston as business manager. In his final editorial in March 1888 the newspaper's founder, John Andrew, wrote that his "place is being taken by two thoroughly honorable, active, and capable young men".To the Constituents of The Riverine Grazier, Riverine Grazier, 29 March 1888, page 2.
During a period of growing prosperity of Hay township and the surrounding district, as editor of the Riverine Grazier Ashton took every opportunity to advocate for the causes of free trade, land law reform and federation of the Australian colonies.
In 1892 Ashton and Johnston decided to purchase The Narandera Argus, the local newspaper at Narrandera on the Murrumbidgee River upstream from Hay, which had become available for sale. In August 1892 it was announced that the partnership between John Johnston and James Ashton was "dissolved by mutual consent", a decision allowing Johnston to run the Riverina Grazier at Hay and Ashton to separately conduct the business of The Narandera Argus. In a published letter Ashton wrote that he had severed his connection with The Grazier "with deep regret", explaining: "The step is of my own choice, and is taken in obedience to a desire to keep 'moving along'"."The Riverine Grazier": Dissolution of Partnership, Riverine Grazier, 23 August 1892, page 2.
Narrandera
In August 1892 Ashton went to live at Narrandera.
In 1893 the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act was passed which reduced future representation in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly to 125 single-member electorates. The two-member electorate of Balranald was to be replaced by the single-member electoral district of Hay. Robert B. Wilkinson, one of the members for Balranald and a free-trade supporter, announced his intention to resign at the next election, which prompted Ashton to nominate as a free-trade candidate for the new constituency. He began his bid for election by delivering a series of public addresses on land law reform, which he afterwards distributed to electors in a pamphlet titled 'The Great Land Question'. At the New South Wales election held in July 1894 Ashton stood as a free-trade supporter against four other candidates and was elected with 37.8 percent of the vote, defeating a protectionist candidate, James Newton, who had previously represented the district as one of the members for the Balranald electorate.Hay – 1894, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 24 April 2025.
After the government's land and income tax assessment bill was blocked in the New South Wales Legislative Council the premier and leader of the Free Trade Party, George Reid, called an election on a program seeking affirmation of the rejected financial bill and Upper House reform. At the subsequent election held in July 1895 Ashton was re-elected with a majority vote of 61.3 percent, his only opponent being the protectionist James Newton.Hay – 1895, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 25 April 2025.
In July 1896 Ashton sold The Narandera Argus to J. P. Brosnan. Ashton left Narrandera after the change of ownership, explaining that "he was relinquishing his connection with the Argus in order to give closer attention to other affairs, including his political duties".Mr. James Ashton, Riverine Grazier, 3 July 1896, page 2.
Politics
Ashton had been a strong advocate for the federation of the Australian colonies in his editorial columns beginning in the 1880s. On the eve of the Federation referendum in June 1898 the editor of the Riverine Grazier wrote that Ashton's "persistent advocacy has played no small part in creating the federal sentiment now so strong in this district".Mr. Ashton and the Hay Electorate, Riverine Grazier (Hay), 3 June 1898, page 2. While Ashton supported federation, he opposed the convention bill, particularly the proposal for equal representation of the States in the Senate (which he thought should be proportional).Biographical Sketches: Mr. Ashton, Minister for Lands, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 August 1904, page 7. Despite Ashton's opposition, the proposed Federal constitution was overwhelmingly supported in his electorate. The result for the Hay electorate in the Federation referendum was 740 'yes' votes and 176 'no' votes.Federation: The Voting on the Referendum, Riverine Grazier (Hay), 7 June 1898, page 2.
Acknowledging the views on Federation of the Hay electorate differed from his own, Ashton decided to contest the seat of Goulburn at the New South Wales election of July 1898. He was elected as its representative as a member of the Liberal and Reform Party with a majority vote of 62.3 percent.Goulburn – 1898, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 3 May 2025.
On 6 March 1899 James Ashton married Helen Willis at Sutton Forest. The wedding was officiated by the bride's father, Rev. Robert Willis, and was described as "quite original in its simplicity".Marriage of Mr. James Ashton, M.P., Shoalhaven Telegraph, 18 March 1899, page 2. The couple had four sons, born in the period September 1899 to November 1909.
In December 1900 Ashton was the subject of criticism in a Hay newspaper for having expressed views in parliament (described as "pro-Boer utterances") in opposition to sending Australian troops to South Africa in support of the British Empire in its conflict with the two Boer republics. In a speech in October 1899 he had described the Second Boer War was being "chiefly made by that party amongst whom Mr. Rhodes exercises a controlling influence" and described the conflict as "a wrongful war" and "the wickedest war of modern times".Mr. Ashton and the War, Riverina Times, Hay Standard and Journal of Water Conservation (Hay), 10 December 1900, page 2. At the time Ashton's speech was reported as: "He took the side of the Boers, but he never forgot that he is a British subject".Miscellaneous, Molong Argus, 27 October 1899, page 7. In the strongly worded editorial of December 1900 Ashton's views were compared unfavourably with mainstream expressions of loyalty and patriotism, summarised as "helping the Mother country in her hour of need".
Ashton was unsuccessful as the Free Trade candidate for the federal seat of Riverina in the first election for the Legislative Assembly of the Australian parliament in March 1901. He received 46.5 percent of the vote against the Protectionist candidate John Chanter. The Sydney Morning Herald attributed Ashton's failure to win the seat of Riverina to his previous opposition to aspects of the Federal constitution.
Ashton re-contested the seat of Goulburn at the New South Wales election of July 1901 and was elected with a majority vote of 63.1 percent.Goulburn – 1901, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 3 May 2025. During his time in the New South Wales parliament Ashton began to study law. He passed his final examination in 1902 "but delayed entering at the Bar, because he had a lucrative connection as a land agent". In 1903 James and Helen Ashton moved into 'Tueila', their waterfront home at Double Bay, and lived out their lives.
Ashton sought re-election for the seat of Goulburn at the New South Wales election of August 1904 and was elected with a majority vote of 56.2 percent.Goulburn – 1904, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 3 May 2025. On 29 August 1904 he was appointed Secretary for Lands in the formation of the Carruthers government.State Government, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 September 1904, page 5. Under the State constitution at that time newly-appointed ministers from the Legislative Assembly had their seats vacated and were required to successfully contest the election before taking up their appointments. Ashton was elected as the only candidate for the seat of Goulburn in the by-election held in September 1904, one of four new ministers re-elected unopposed.Goulburn – By-election, 'New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007', Parliament of New South Wales website; accessed 3 May 2025.