author
E. W. (Edward William) Cole
1832–1918
Best known as the lively force behind Melbourne’s famous Book Arcade, this English-born bookseller turned buying books into a spectacle of music, animals, curiosities, and cheerful chaos. He also compiled hugely popular family titles that carried his playful, reform-minded spirit far beyond the shop itself.
1 Audiobook
Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1
by E. W. (Edward William) Cole
About the author
Born in Kent in 1832, Edward William Cole left England as a young man, spent time in South Africa, and reached Melbourne during the gold-rush era. After trying several lines of work, he moved into bookselling and in the 1860s began building the business that would make him widely known in Australia.
Cole became the founder of Cole’s Book Arcade in Melbourne, a bookshop remembered as much for its personality as for its stock. It was famous for turning a visit into an experience, with oddities, entertainment, and a welcoming atmosphere that helped bring books to a broad public rather than a narrow elite.
He was also a publisher and compiler of popular books, including Cole’s Funny Picture Book and Cole’s Fun Doctor, which reached large audiences. Alongside his flair for showmanship, he was known for progressive causes, including support for social reform and a dislike of cruelty, making him a memorable figure in Australian literary and cultural life until his death in 1918.