The cabinet maker James Whitesides (c 1803–1890) arrived in Hobart from Ireland in 1832. He came to the colony with established woodworking skills and in the company of fellow artisans William Hamilton and John McLoughlin. The three opened business premises as Hamilton & Co in Argyle Street, but in October 1839 the partnership was dissolved, Whitesides withdrawing to operate on his own in Argyle Street. By 1842, he had moved to premises in Liverpool Street,4 where, by the mid-1840s, he was producing top quality pieces of furniture branded under his name (plate 1). The earliest such piece known is c 1845.