He was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent on the 19 Jan 1838
John William Dinning, who was born in England in 1838, came to Australia at the age of 15, and after being articled to his uncle to study law soon abandoned it in favour of outdoor work. After gaining experience on stations, he came to Padthaway and selected blocks 45W an 95E and followed farming and grazing, and establishing the pine plantation which is still there today. He later sold out and moved to the Tatiara, where he lived until his death in 1898.
This one says....
John William Dinning
was born in Kent on January 19th 1838, and came to Australia at the age of 15.
He was articled to his uncle, Mr Hopkins, but soon abandoned the study of law in favour of outdoor work.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212459243No mention of Tunbridge Wells, you really need to find out where that has come from.
A reply from someone on Roots chat lists his parents as William Dinning and Elizabeth Williams so that would possibly fit better with his middle christian name
John's son Henry married in Victoria where more information is included on certificates than in SA. It was Henry who named his mother as Elizabeth WILLIAMS, so it seems there is some confusion there with the name of John's mother.
It seems that none of the births of John's children were registered until James in 1880. If John was in the habit of not bothering to register his children then it may be difficult to find out who actually was the mother of the first three children. There is no DINNING death registered anywhere before John's remarriage in 1872 that could be his wife, and with no marriage showing either then these events may be under an unknown surname.
When Henry married he stated that he was born in Merino, Victoria around 1867. The other two, Alfred and Elizabeth died in SA and both their death certs should show a place of birth if the informant knew that information, so would be worth having a look at to trace John's movements.
There was another child named Annie Adela (Adelaide?) who was apparently aged 24 when she died in 1895, which if correct would make her born before John's second marriage.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91461133 Debra
