Pre-Felton acquisitions made with funds donated by Dalgety in 1862 are noted in the following entries:
Ancient art (a preliminary account)
Asian art (a preliminary account)
Copeland pottery [DA]
Decorative Arts – Introduction (various items)
Delft pottery [DA]
Derby Porcelain [DA]
Meissen Porcelain [DA]
Unknown ceramic artists [DA]
Frederick Gonnerman Dalgety migrated from Canada in 1834, settling by 1842 in Melbourne, where he quickly established himself as a successful merchant, prospering especially during the Victorian gold rush. In 1854, he established a headquarters in London, supplying and financing the Victorian pastoral industry, especially wool-growers. He lived permanently in England from 1859, with others managing his burgeoning interests in Melbourne and Geelong. Dalgety & co. continued to prosper after his death, although it was forced to restructure substantially in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
His ADB biographer confidently asserts that “Dalgety had no interests outside his business, family, and estates; his only interest was shooting.” However, his 1862 gift to the Melbourne collection, initiating the NGV’s decorative arts collection, suggests otherwise, as does his collecting of painting, notably the work of von Guérard (see linked artist entry for details).
Refs.
For the general information noted above, see R.M.Hartwell, biography in ADB vol.4 (1972): see http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dalgety-frederick-gonnerman-283 (accessed 4 May 2020)
Dalgety’s donation of £100 is also mentioned briefly by Cox NGV (1970), p.11, and Lane, Decorative Arts (1980), p.6