After a failed attempt at setting up a calico printing firm near Manchester, Wilson migrated to Australia to become a pastoralist. Although his own farms did not prosper, he was encouraged by what he saw in his travels through the colonies. In 1848, Wilson bought The Argus, and retained a stake in the proprietorship of the paper for the rest of his life, although he and the other proprietors handed control over to a local editorial board after Wilson's return to England in 1862. In the late 1850s, Wilson travelled extensively through the Australasian colonies, later publishing an account of his journey as Rambles at the Antipodes.
Wilson was known for his radical views. He supported the liberalisation of land ownership, criticised the treatment of Aboriginees, and made suggestions for the radical reform of the penal systems. The Australian Dictionary of Biography describes Wilson as "an outstanding journalist who was briefly of crucial importance and commanding influence". He was deeply involved with the editorship of The Argus during the pivotal goldrushes period (in the early 1850s), and greatly contributed to the success of the newspaper.
