THE last will and testament of James Dalton now has pride of place on the walls of Duntryleague Guesthouse.
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Copies of the will and the land title deed of Duntryleague were presented by Orange City Council to guesthouse proprietors Joanna and Michael Third yesterday.
"James Dalton was one of the leading pioneers of Orange. His will is something tangible for the city to keep," said City Image Advisory Committee chairman Cr John Miller.
The original will and deed were purchased from Kerry Condon of D'Arcy's Old Wares.
Mr Condon said he sold the will and deed to council for the same price he had purchased them.
"I thought it would be best to keep them in Orange, it was an opportunity to give something to the city," he said.
The original documents were sent to a Sydney firm to be digitally copied and preserved.
The framed and glassed copies are in seven panels. The originals have been put in safe-keeping by council.
Irish-born James Dalton built Duntryleague in 1876. He also built well-known buildings in Orange such as the Australia Hall (now the Australia Cinema) and the Ammerdown, Kangaroobie and Galbally homesteads.
He was mayor in 1869, first captain of the Orange Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1870 and an officer of Orange District Hospital in 1866.