after his father. His course took him to Poeppel Corner (90 miles from Birdsville) where the states of Queensland and South Australia meet with the Northern Territory. Colson and Peter reached Birdsville on 11 June, and set out for the return journey three days later. He had missed the corner post on the outward trip (by only 300 yards), but found it on the return journey and took photographs as it was still in good condition after 50 years since its placement. They arrived back at Bloods Creek on 29 June 1936, after 36 days and almost 600 miles of travel. Colson planned a second crossing in 1938, but it did not proceed due to a lack of resources. Final years Following his journey across the Simpson, Colson established the Colson Trading Company at Finke (now Aputula) in the Northern Territory. He ran a store and hotel, and became well known as a community leader. In 1948 he organised the Finke Amateur Racing Club's first horse race meeting, which was a resounding success. Just two years later in February 1950 while driving a new motor vehicle home from Adelaide, he collided with a power pole at Balaklava, South Australia and was killed. Legacy The Colson Track which runs from the middle of the Simpson Desert to Numery Station near Alice Springs is named after him. The State Library of South Australia has a collection of Colson's papers, correspondence and maps (Acc. No. D5830) The Fisher Library at the University of Sydney has a collection of correspondence between Elkin and Colson (AA62.htm) References Explorers of Australia Australian explorers 1881 births 1950 deaths