In July 1893 James Colvin was a crew member of the North Coast Steam Ship Company's City Of Grafton.
He was charged with taking part in a strike as the whole of the crew had refused duty.
He was remanded in jail till the hearing with then bail was allowed, themselves in £10 and surety of £10 each.

The strike also included the crews of the Wodonga, Barcoo, Wyrallah, Bega, and Burrawong.

By 1896 Colvin was in command of the 117-ton steamer Wollumbin which went ashore at Norah Head on 27 January 1896 while on a trip from Sydney to Newcastle.

William May who was in charge of the deck on the vessel at the time of her stranding was found to have committed a wrongful act in not taking soundings, or otherwise taking sufficient steps to keep the vessel away from the land.

In 1899 Colvin was the mate of the Orara when she was wrecked on the Tweed bar on 16 February 1899.
The Orara was a wooden screw steamer of 181 tons registered in Sydney, and was owned by Mr G W Nicoll.

Colvin had made four trips in the ship to the Tweed River.
He stated that the bar was at all times a dangerous bar to work.
He had 10 years' experience in bar harbours, and he considered the Tweed bar the worst.

By 1901 Colvin was chief officer of the steamer Augusta and had rescued five different people from drowning.
In one instance, in early April 1901, he plunged into Sydney Harbour and succeeded in keeping afloat a struggling man until further assistance arrived.

From February 1903 to December 1904, COlvin was in command of the Dorrigo doing the Coffs, Woolgoolga Sydney run.

In January 1905 Colvin was the first captain of the newly built 238-ton wooden screw steamer Cooloon, which plied between Woolgoolga Coffs Harbour and Sydney.
He remained in charge of the vessel until at least August 1906.

In December 1908 it was found that he was associated with the "Page millions".
The last Page who was the holder of the lands died without heirs in 1829.
The bequest was made by the last owner, Harry Page, to Henry Young, who will probably be held to be entitled to the wealth lying in Chancery.

A granddaughter of Major-General Young was the late wife of Captain James Colvin, her maiden name being Lucy Goff.
Captain Colvin trades between Sydney and Coffs Harbor, and he intends probing the matter further to show that his late wife and her children, and the four grandchildren of Major-General Young, now living at Bathurst, are the only direct representatives of Henry Young, to whom the Page millions were legally left.

Captain Colvin had no doubt that Major General Young was the son or the grandson of Henry Young, and he "had strong grounds for believing that this Henry Young was identical with the Henry Young who inherited from the last of the Pages."

He was in command of Fitzroy by 1913 and until her sinking in 1921 and his death.
In July 1893 James Colvin was a crew member of the North Coast Steam Ship Company's City Of Grafton. He was charged with taking part in a strike as the whole of the crew had refused duty. He was remanded in jail till the hearing with then bail was allowed, themselves in £10 and surety of £10 each.
The strike also included the crews of the Wodonga, Barcoo, Wyrallah, Bega, and Burrawong.
By 1896 Colvin was in command of the 117-ton steamer Wollumbin which went ashore at Norah Head on 27 January 1896 while on a trip from Sydney to Newcastle.
William May who was in charge of the deck on the vessel at the time of her stranding was found to have committed a wrongful act in not taking soundings, or otherwise taking sufficient steps to keep the vessel away from the land.
In 1899 Colvin was the mate of the Orara when she was wrecked on the Tweed bar on 16 February 1899. The Orara was a wooden screw steamer of 181 tons registered in Sydney, and was owned by Mr G W Nicoll.
Colvin had made four trips in the ship to the Tweed River. He stated that the bar was at all times a dangerous bar to work. He had 10 years' experience in bar harbours, and he considered the Tweed bar the worst.
By 1901 Colvin was chief officer of the steamer Augusta and had rescued five different people from drowning. In one instance, in early April 1901, he plunged into Sydney Harbour and succeeded in keeping afloat a struggling man until further assistance arrived.
From February 1903 to December 1904, COlvin was in command of the Dorrigo doing the Coffs, Woolgoolga Sydney run.
In January 1905 Colvin was the first captain of the newly built 238-ton wooden screw steamer Cooloon, which plied between Woolgoolga Coffs Harbour and Sydney. He remained in charge of the vessel until at least August 1906.
In December 1908 it was found that he was associated with the "Page millions". The last Page who was the holder of the lands died without heirs in 1829. The bequest was made by the last owner, Harry Page, to Henry Young, who will probably be held to be entitled to the wealth lying in Chancery.
A granddaughter of Major-General Young was the late wife of Captain James Colvin, her maiden name being Lucy Goff. Captain Colvin trades between Sydney and Coffs Harbor, and he intends probing the matter further to show that his late wife and her children, and the four grandchildren of Major-General Young, now living at Bathurst, are the only direct representatives of Henry Young, to whom the Page millions were legally left.
Captain Colvin had no doubt that Major General Young was the son or the grandson of Henry Young, and he "had strong grounds for believing that this Henry Young was identical with the Henry Young who inherited from the last of the Pages."
He was in command of Fitzroy by 1913 and until her sinking in 1921 and his death.
Fitzroy (1912)