Mr Siguard Simpson and his father ,Mr Magnus Simpson cut most of the timber for the Gulf country gold mines and general construction work----hundreds of thousands of suprerficial feet of it . They moved their portable sawmill from timber stand to timber stand and introduced the circular to replace the pit saw .
The Simpsons pioneered well-boring in the Gulf sinking many sub- artesian bores on many stations in the Gulf. ;Bought the first steam traction engine to the district in 1907and also its first motor buggy--a two -cyclinder oddity imported from America in 1908. .
For many years they raised cattle on Blancourt Selection 30 miles outside Georgetown .In later years Siguard was a well known business man in Georgetown operating the business of blacksmith ,carpenter,wheelwright engineering and plumber.
He conducted a picture show in Normanton after world war 11.before coming to Townsville in 1958. He then worked as blacksmith in his son's engineering business in Townsville .G-Ma's father, Duncan McQueen operated a pit saw just below Blancourt Selection.
The circumstances of Gran-Dad's birth set the pattern for his pioneering life. ---He came into this world under a tarpaulin on the banks od the Gilbert River on October 6 th 1887. The nearest Doctor was 60 miles away in Croydon. A carriers wife who was in the camp at the time, acted as midwife.
Siguard Simpson received some of his education in the bush from his mother, who had been a teacher in Sweden. His Father came from Norway , At one stage he went to school in Croydon walking 5 miles into the town from the old Home-ward Bound Battery, which his father was running at the time.. At the time of Siguard's birth his father Magnus Simpson was renting a saw mill which belonged to yhe late Mr Ben Gillette, and was cutting timber for the gold miles at Croydon and Georgetown . The mobile consisted of a 12- horse power engine, bought in Townsville in1885, A sawbench and oddments of small machinery tranversed a vast distance in the west and north of Queensland . Born under a tarpaulin at sawmill . Father Magnus was manager of Gold Batteries. Siguard rode 7 miles to school in Croydon .
