Last changed 5 September 2021

Notes on Jack Simpson (and Doug Cooper)

Strong 1992:75-76:  In March 1930, Annie Lock arrived.
"The area she chose to move to was held as a Grazing Licence (GL 629) by John William Simpson [NTRS, F28 GL 629 131/3/1 Box 17].  Simpson applied for the area in November 1928 and he gave his occupation as miner of Hatches Creek.  At the time he was actually employed on Banka Banka Station boring for water. The licence was approved on 20 May 1929.  Within the area of the licence, 1023 sq km, was a 13 sq km water reserve around Oradidgee (Ngurrutiji) Rockhole.

Although it appears that at the time that Annie Lock arrived at Yirrariji, Simpson was living there, [Turner 1939:76] it would seem that he spent very little time there.  In March 1930 Simpson was advised that part of his block was to be gazetted as open for pastoral lease.  It was not until 29 January 1931 that the gazettal took place [Comm Gaz 29.01.31] and Simpson was advised of the fact.  All this correspondence was addressed to Newcastle Waters and/or Banka Banka.

However, it was not until May 1932 that Simpson, writing from Kurinelli, made application for a pastoral lease.  It was obvious that he could not afford the increased rent and so continued to hold the area as GL 629 until 30 June 1933 when he had to let it go.
...
Simpson still owed rent but this was never collected and was written off.  On 21 October 1936 the Adminstrator advised Canberra:

Simpson is a half-caste of nomadic habits and is a mining prospector.  When heard of last about 12 months ago he was prospecting in the vicinity of Buchanan Hills - a remote part in the western end of the Territory.  As the Deputy Adminstrator states, Simpson did profit by his operations at Tennant Creek, but unfortunately lost the whole of it in a very short time.  It is impossible to recover the amount due by him.

The area was then held by William Grant, butcher of Tennant Creek, from May 1934 until at least 1956 as GL 741. [NTRS, F28 GL 741 131/3/1 Box 17]

Strong 1992:124-125 re Yirrariji Rockhole (Annie Lock)
"Just to the south of Yirrariji Rockhole are three rock formations (Mike Fleming pers. comm. 1992).  On the western side of the creek is the largest formation which, after discussion with Fleming, is probably the remains of John Simpson's home.  The other two, on the eastern side of the creek are most probably the remains of Annie Lock's camp. ...

From Simpson's home a road leads down from the gorge and rockhole for about 1 km to the remnants of what was probably Annie Lock's goat camp."

Strong, Bruce W. 1992. Kurundi Goldfield, Northern Territory. Historical Analysis and Site Documentation. For National Trust of Australia (Northern Territory). September 1992. Volume 1 viii+83pp; Volume 2 (Parts 1 and 2) 126pp.

Further information on the Yirrariji Rockhole camp and Jack Simpson is in Catherine Bishop's 2021 biography of Annie Lock 'Too much cabbage and Jesus Christ' https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/247559379


Electoral Roll
Northern Territory, Division of Alice Springs

John William Simpson
Lenney Creek
Barrow Creek, miner

in rolls 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1937, not in 1943


BANKA BANKA journals
1929-30 Diary, page 85: John Simpson — Banka Banka employee, 1928-29. £3 per week.
28/5/34 J. Simpson called.
31/5/34 Jack Simpson called.


NTAS
F292
Wave Hill Police Station Journals mentions of J Simpson & D Cooper
17-22 Jan 1930
1-2, 9, 13,18 July 1936



"Golden Forty:[mine] Snowy Renfrey. Jack Simpson sold to Scmidt."
page 15 in: Tuxworth, Hilda. 1978. Tennant Creek Yesterday and Today. [National Trust of Australia, Tennant Creek].



involvement in Waldron events, 1937


Margot Miles, telephone, 19-20/9/1994.

Jack Simpson, Brindled Stag (as in Miles 1988), woman-chaser, Afghan origins, at the Joker Mine; went up to Pine Creek about 1940, already middle-aged (in his 40s); tall man with a moustache.
Miles, Margot. 1988. The old Tennant. [Tennant Creek, N.T.]: Margot Miles. ISBN 0731642007

Doug Cooper

See mention in https://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/waldron.html

"… veteran territorian Doug Cooper, who now takes care of the garden at our Melville Island Mission, can remember the early 1930's when it [Tennant Creek] was like something out of America's Wild West, with six hundred men on the field, living, drinking and brawling in bough and hessian sheds, each armed with a rifle or holstered revolver." (Flynn 1964:192)
Flynn, Frank, MSC. 1964. The living heart. Sydney : F. P. Leonard http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8476896

Karlantijpa page

© 2001 David Nash
Created 13 November 2001
Modified 5 September 2021

URL http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/jsimpson.html