James Matheson was born 29 September 1824 in Loch Broom, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. Matheson arrived on the Shackamaxon (ship) in 1853. He married Annabella McLeahy 31 January 1851 at Loch Broom, Scotland. They had twelve children.

The lease on Wilpena Station was taken up in 1851 by the Browne Brothers. The station was established by their partner, twenty-five year old Henry Strong Price who decided to build the homestead and station headquarters near the Wilpena Creek which drains the Pound. In 1861 Price became sole owner and manager of Wilpena Station. By that time it had more than 17,000 sheep, and 5,000 cattle. Three years later the total area of the station was some 2,000 square kilometres and carried more than 33,000 sheep.Despite suffering heavy stock losses during the drought of the late 1860s Price stayed at Wilpena and built many miles of fences to better utilise the pasture.

It is not known when Matheson was at Wilpena or what his role was.

He died 21 November 1882, at Port Gawler.

Cockburn, R Pastoral pioneers of South Australia Blackwood, S.A.: Lynton Publications, [1974] [Facsimile ed.] / indexed by A. Dorothy Aldersey. Check index in vol. 1 for scattered references to Wilpena Station

Mincham, Hans The story of the Flinders Ranges Adelaide: Rigby, 1965

Flinders Ranges Research: Wilpena Station

Wilpena Station: the manager's house B 8373