Bruce Simpson and the Glenormiston Relics...

Simpson's connection to Leichhardt was related to Boulia, one of Queensland's westernmost towns. Leichhardt may well have come this way as he sought a track to the west coast, Burke and Wills certainly came through here as they headed north in 1860. Both expeditions were before the birth of Boulia. Although Queensland had separated from NSW in 1859, this area, which Peter Saenger called "Queensland's Western Afterthought", was not yet part of the new colony during the Burke & Wills expedition. Western Queensland ended at latitude 141 degrees east which marks the border with South Australia. The three degrees of land to 138 degrees east that marks the border with NT (then South Australia) was contested by Queensland, SA and Victoria. Though Victoria had no contiguous border with the region, they financed Burke and Wills' expedition. When it went wrong, Queensland led explorations to find them and the area was included in the northern colony in 1862.