JK Simpson

Born in Edinburgh in 1859, J.K Simpson emigrated to New Zealand with his parents. He learned brewing at the Water of Leith Brewery in Dunedin. After working at the Black Horse 1880-83, he spent a year in Christchurch, then returned to Weatherstons and joined Benjamin Hart in making the Black Horse the most successful provincial brewery in Otago.

Simpson was an excellent brewer and introduced new techniques, that have remained a secret to this day, which resulted in an ale whose quality was unsurpassed in the South.

Possessing the attributes of progress and imagination, he occupied the seat of Gabriel’s Riding with distinction from 1896 until his death in 1937, being County Chairman in the years 1901, 1907, 1916 & 1929.

While mayor, in another record term (1923 - 1935), Simpson was elected to the Power Board as Lawrence’s first representative, and finally, on September 28 1927, the lights were switched on in Lawrence. He was also an integral part of introducing the mechanical age to the Tuapeka by the trial lease of a grader to maintain the roads in 1933.

He also sat on the Goldfield’s Hospital Committee and the Advisory Board of the Lawrence Sub-branch of the Plunket Society, which was formed in September 1923.

Like his partner, Benjamin Hart, Simpson identified himself with the mining community and with the aspirations of poor people generally; his compassion for the underdog renown.

He was Chairman and committee member of the Lawrence Domain Board managing the commonages in the Tuapeka District for over 30 years, a thankless and near impossible task with over 14,000 rabbit infested acres whose income was a mere £42 per annum. At the dissolution of the commonage licence in 1925, it was revealed that J.K Simpson, the friend of small men everywhere, had for many years been paying the annual rent out of his own pocket.