Col Wilson was born at Broadmarsh, Tasmania, in 1920 and settled on Flinders Island, at Sawyers Bay, in the early 1950s. He served in the Australian Army from 1942 to 1944 before marrying his wife, Betty, and moving to the island. Known as an excellent horseman and versatile worker, he undertook a range of jobs, including shearing and employment with the Bank during the early years of the War Service Land Settlement scheme.

The Wilsons were allotted Lot 1 at The Quoin but only a little over one year concluded that the small farming blocks were not large enough to provide a viable living. After leaving the settlement, he became a Stock Inspector with the Department of Agriculture. His departure reflected the broader difficulties of The Quoin scheme, which was later officially judged unsuitable for successful settlement farming.

It was then re-allocated to Jack and Marie Barnewall