The first of Joe Darling’s cricketing feats occurred at the 1885 Intercol. In the first innings Princes made 500, of which the 14-year-old Joe Darling contributed 252. Both scores established records for the Adelaide Oval (at the time).
Darling first appeared for Australia in 1894 to 1895 in the side competing against the touring English XI. The following year he undertook the first of four tours to England, three as captain, making over one thousand runs in each tour. During the 1897 to 1898 series he became the first left hander to score a test century, the first to score three centuries, and the first to score over 500 runs in a series. Darling had a first class average of 34.52 and achieved an average of 28.56 for his 34 test matches. He captained Australia in 21 tests from 1894 to 1895 to 1905, winning five, drawing ten, and losing four.
In 1908 Darling moved to Tasmania and became a successful grazier and Member of Parliament. He fathered twelve children!