Family background
Joseph Stimson was born at Fairfield on 1 January 1851, son of William Stimson and Eliza. In 1875 he married Barbara Stuart Reid at Glebe. There were five sons and three daugters of the marriage. One of his sons was employed as an engineer by the City of Sydney Council in the early 20th century. In 1909, Joseph Stimson and his wife moved to 7 Kardinia Road, Mosman (Clifton Gardens). He died at Clifton Gardens on 10 September 1935, aged 84 years. Barbara Stimson died 29 April 1935, aged 84 years.
Occupation & interests
Stimson joined John Bardsley & Co about 1874, and acquired and operated its Glebe grocery for about 20 years before opening an office at 47 Glebe Point Road Glebe as a house and land agent in 1895, operating there until his retirement in 1928 when his sons continued the agency. Trading as J Stimson & Sons the estate agency operated in Glebe for more than 80 years.Secretary of Starr Bowkett Building Society he managed 400 to 500 inner city properties in 1912 when he told an inquiry many investors were disinclined to invest ‘because of the tendency to loss’. He left an estate valued at 30,390 pounds for probate purposes.
Community activity
Stimson was Treasurer of Glebe Benevolent Society for more than ten years and an active temperance worker for Campbell Street Church of Christ, Sydney for 60 years. He was also a partner of biscuit manufacturers, Hackshall & Co, Parramatta Road, Glebe. He was a vice-president of Glebe Rowing Club of which son Jimmy was captain in 1909.
Local government service
Jospeh Stimson gave evidence to the Royal Commission on the Saturday Half Holiday in 1909. He told them there were 150 shopkeepers in Glebe, and that physically disabled people could acqure small premises for 20 to 25 shillings a week, and could make a living by staying open late when other shops closed. In his time as a grocer he opened at 9am and closed at 10pm or 11pm
References
Royal Commission re Saturday Half Holiday NSW Parliamentary Papers 1909, 5, p. 709
Select Committee on House Rents NSW Legislative Assembly V & P 1911-12, 3, p. 707
Sydney Morning Herald 6 February 1895 p. 4
Sydney Morning Herald 3 February 1908 p. 8
Sydney Morning Herald 28 October 1897 p. 3; 21 February 1906 p. 4
Sydney Morning Herald 2 February 1914 p. 10
Sydney Morning Herald 12 September 1935 p. 15; 5 December 1935 p. 7