Simon Alexander Fraser

Fraser was born on a boat in Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land, on 13 February 1845, the eldest son of twelve children.[1][2] His father, Hugh Archibald Fraser (1796 – 1895), a Scottish magistrate, migrated to New South Wales in 1828.[2]

Hugh lived at River Hunter Valley.[2] Working as a farmer, he lost most of his money within fifteen years, owing to bad crops, and heavy partying and betting.[2] It is claimed that Hugh had relatives with the Campbells of Lorn.[2] Hugh became an overseer at Port Arthur's penal settlement in the 1840s.[1] Fraser's mother, Mary Fraser (née Anderson, 1827 – 1899) was descended from the MacCrimmons family, traditional pipers to the clan MacLeod and she was a granddaughter of Charles MacArthur, a Scottish bagpiper.[1][3]

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, 64 kilometres (40 mi) away, riding his horse each way.[1] Later he made his own bagpipes and was reputedly, "the first to use kangaroo-skin in preference to the traditional sheep-skin", he won championship contests in playing, throughout Australia.[1] As a stock rider, with his brothers, he would drove sheep from Mansfield to Melbourne.[1] He learnt whip making from local Aboriginal stock man, Nangus Jack.[1] Fraser "wove forty-four strands into the longest whip that had been made in Australia."[1][4]

Fraser married Florence MacMillan, a Scottish dancer, in November 1872.[1][5] They had eight children,[1] two of whom become successful bagpipers, Jack and Hugh.[5] Fraser "did not play the pipes seriously until he was 40".[5] His teacher, Peter Bruce, had left Fraser bagpipes in Bruce's will.[5] With five of their children, the Frasers toured Victoria as a musical group, including a performance at Government House, Melbourne.[1] The ensemble provided clarinet, piccolo, piano, two violins and harp.[1] In addition to bagpipes, Fraser played violin and flute.[6] He continued to work as a stock rider and whip-maker.[1][4] He was survived by six of his children.[1]