Great!
As the trail for 'your James' seemed to go cold in AUS I thought it might be worth looking again at early 1850s Belfast and turned up a few other snippets, with the disclaimers that they may or may not be 'your' James Anderson of course:
Belfast Street Directory from 1852
Anderson, James, portrait painter, 26 Hamilton Street
http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/1852names.htmMonday 14 June 1852 , Belfast News-Letter
Records the death at 'No. 23, Hamilton Street, the infant son of Mr James Anderson'
Also, I copied this excerpt before, but have now read the full article:
Monday 20 September 1852 , Belfast News-Letter
Advertisements & Notices
'Mr. James Anderson, a young artist of rising celebrity in this town, but about to emigrate to Australia ...'
The full text of the excerpt mentions that the toast at this event to mark the departure of Anderson was given by a 'Washington Murphy' ...
The 1852 Belfast Street Directory lists:
Murphy, Dr. Washington, surgeon, 11 Donegall Street
Melbourne Argus, 22 Aug 1853:
SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVED.
Washington Murphy, Esq , M D., Surgeon
Melbourne Argus, 26 July 1856:
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE
James Washington Murphy, M.D., to be Coroner for Beechworth
The DAOO biography of 'James Anderson' posted by rosball lists that Anderson was in Beechworth in c.1857
August 1856 Victoria Government Gazette
http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/images/1856/V/general/92.pdfyou need page 1258, a list of Beechworth worthies which includes 'Washington Murphy MD JP' at the top and 'James Anderson RHA', the penultimate name in the first column
RHA = Royal Hibernian Academy? Another avenue to explore?