E. W. (Edward William) Cole

Born in England in 1832, Edward William Cole later settled in Australia and became one of colonial Melbourne’s most memorable booksellers and publishers. He is closely linked with Cole’s Book Arcade, a hugely popular Bourke Street store that became famous not just for books, but for its eccentric displays, attractions, and family-friendly sense of spectacle.

Cole believed strongly that reading should be open, enjoyable, and useful to ordinary people. Alongside running his business, he published a wide range of material, including the long-running Cole’s Funny Picture Book, which became especially well known for entertaining generations of children.

He was remembered as an energetic, idealistic figure with an unusual mix of commercial flair and social vision. Accounts of his life often note his interest in education, moral improvement, and even international peace, showing that he saw bookselling as more than trade alone.