J.J.Poynton was born in Victoria, on May 7th, 1870. He was the eleventh child of Alexander Poynton and Rosanna McFadden.

He started work as a clerk with the railways in Victoria at a young age, and progressed through the system to become the logistical manager of construction of the Trans Australia Railway. In 1920, he became manager of the Midland Railway Company.

He was Mayor of Midland Junction for six years, then later was the Lord Mayor of Perth for several years during the 1930s. His first wife was Minnie Teather, and their marriage was childless. They adopted Irwin and his brother Hartley after the death of Charles Hartley Stokes. Minnie died in 1934, and in 1937 J.J.Poynton married Nina Florence Jackson, daughter of the Chairman of West Australian Newspapers (and Kings Counsel) in Perth.

J.J.Poynton and Nina travelled to the UK for the coronation of George VI in 1937 (or 38?) and the above photograph was probably taken on the return journey.

Apart from his own prominence as the Lord Mayor of Perth, J.J.Poynton had several brothers who were well-known public figures. One was Edward Poynton, who was for many years the principal of the Claremont Teachers College. Another was Alexander Poynton (junior) who was a Federal Minister in the Cabinet of Billy Hughes.

J.J.Poynton died of duodenal cancer after a brief illness in 1938.

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