Simon Alexander Fraser

Simon Alexander Fraser (13 February 184517 April 1934) was an Australian bagpiper, stock rider, and whip-maker of Scottish descent. With his wife Florence (née MacMillan) and five of their children, the Fraser's family musical group toured Victoria and between them provided clarinet, piccolo, piano, two violins and flute. They played at Government House. As a whip-maker Fraser "wove forty-four strands into the longest whip that had been made in Australia."

Early life

Fraser was born on a boat in Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land, on 13 February 1845, the eldest son of twelve children. Hugh became an overseer at Port Arthur's penal settlement in the 1840s.

The Fraser family relocated to Barwite, Victoria (near Mansfield) when he was a child. He spent most of his life living in the district. He took bagpipe lessons from Peter Bruce in Benalla, away, riding his horse each way. They had eight children, He continued to work as a stock rider and whip-maker. He was survived by six of his children.