Boag was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1822. He emigrated to Australia with his wife and four children in May 1853, on the ship Sea, and arrived in Tasmania in July of the same year aboard the Clarence after three months in the Victorian gold fields. Upon arriving in Tasmania he was engaged by at the Cataract Brewery where he remained manager for 27 years. Once settled in Launceston, Tasmania he had 6 more children, including James Boag II.[3]
He formed a partnership with his son James Boag II to run Esk Brewery in February 1882. They began supplying beer to the public later that year, in December. The brewery later became what is now known as Boag's Brewery.[3]
Boag died aged 69 in Melbourne on 9 November 1890. His remains were transported to Launceston for the funeral service, which was held at St Andrew's Church.[4]
^ abcSmith, Ross, "Boag, James (1822–1890)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 4 April 2019
