Edward. W.

Cole and his Marvellous Book

Arcade
Its the 1880s in Marvellous Melbourne. Look down Bourke Street to see a colourful
rainbow sign, and hear the faint sounds of a brass band playing for the many customers
perusing the two million books on offer, in a shop that has the atmosphere and excitement
of a circus, and you will have found the famous Coles Book Arcade. Edward William
Cole was an extraordinary person who was the leading man behind his Book Arcade on
Bourke Street, which has written itself into Melbournes story due to the effort he poured
into building his empire, and his ideals and morals which he implemented in his store.
From his humble beginnings,
Cole built himself up from
working odd jobs, to being a
market stall owner to being
responsible for bringing so
much joy to the people of
Melbourne with both his
books, and the memorable
atmosphere of his book
arcade. Throughout Coles
life, Melbourne went through
a series of phases before
George Augustus Sala, a
London journalist, dubbed it
Marvellous Melbourne in
1885,i which is when Coles
Book Arcade was well and
truly prosperous, and
becoming even more so with
time.

Coles Book Arcade fit snugly into the glittering Melbourne of the late 1800s, it being
located in the central hub of the city, where it attracted many customers from all walks of
life. To this day, Melbourne still has a keen fondness for the experience of book shops;
sharing conversations over beloved classics, the smell of old books. This is why E.W.
Coles beloved arcade is an important part of Melbournes culture and why it should be
celebrated as such. Although it does not exist today, Cole and his Arcade left a lasting
impression on the history of Melbourne.
Figure 1: The man himself, with a furry friend.
Taken outside his home, Lowther Hall, in Essendon,
1883. Courtesy: TROVE.

some of these photos, which

were of the local flora. In
1861, Cole was running a pie stall at
Russell Street whilst at the same time
becoming more and more compelled to
study at the Public Library, due to his
love of learning.iii Within two years of
studying he obtained a lot of knowledge
on a wide range of subjects, and became
interested in writing down his thoughts
into papers such as The Real Place in
History of Jesus and Paul, which he
intended to have published, for in the
words of his daughter Ada, his object
[was] chiefly to discover the truth and
communicate it to others.iv He was
drifting more and more towards the world
of books, and on the 30th of September,
1865, Cole took the first step towards his
first prosperous venture and what he
would be known for; bookselling.

From little things, big things grow

Cole was born in January, 1882 in
Woodchurch, England. Before he settled
in Melbourne, he worked a number of
jobs before he decided to focus his life
more on books and writing. It was thanks
to working these odd jobs, and being
placed in multiple circumstances that
were difficult, that lead to the successful
empire he created. After his father passed
away when he was 4, it was actually his
step-father who taught Edward and his
brother to read and write. When he was
17 years old, he left Woodchurch for
London, but after living in hardship for a
year he attempted to enlist in the army,
but did not succeed as he was too short.
He then migrated to South Africa, where
he worked as a sheep farmer for a few
years, after which he made up his mind to
move to Australiaii. On the 12th of
November, 1852, he arrived in
Melbourne where he went to work in
Forest Creek as a gold digger. However,
he ultimately decided that this was not
right for him due to the extremely hard
work and the toll it was taking on his
body, and moved on to his next venture,
which was photography. It was in Echuca
that his photography was based, and
when he returned to Melbourne he sold

The beginnings of a flourishing

future
From day one of his book stall at Paddys
Market, Bourke Street, Cole implemented
the ideals that would later be found in his
Arcade. As a believer that education
should be free for all, Cole made it
known that all customers were welcome
to read the books he stocked, and not
pressured to buy.v This stall thrived until
1873, when it was decided by the City
2

Corporation to shut down Paddys

Market, and Cole had to relocate. In
hindsight, the City Corporation presented
a blessing to Cole by shutting down
Paddys Market as Cole relocated to 158
Bourke Street; a location that would
eventually be well known amongst the
book lovers of Melbourne.
Cole decided to mark the front of his
arcade with a rainbow, which eventually
became his trademark. Cole had a
profitable business from the start, with
Melbournians clambering to see the
whimsy and fun that Cole produced. Due
to the burgeoning start of his arcade and
with business going well, Cole turned his
Figure 2:

1923. Courtesy: Trove.

attention to the new Eastern Market that

the City Corporation built in 1875, which
he leased. Ever the entrepreneur, Cole
poured his business sense towards the
Market for a few years. It was here that
the business side and fun-loving side of
Edward really became known. Cole had
hundreds of small traders set up shop,
and also allowed them to rent free. He

had a band playing, sideshows and food

stalls. The market attracted many
customers and saw Cole become a truly
noticeable and wealthy man. Due to the
great acclaim for the Eastern Market, in
1879 Cole took his business sense and
love of fun back towards his beloved
Arcade. The grand opening was on Cup
Day 1883, and Cole opened to the public
the doors of a spectacular place of
knowledge and entertainment that was
more than fit to be one of Marvellous
Melbournes highlights.vi
Marvellous Melbourne
Melbourne in the 1880s was certainly one
of the grandest times in the history of the
city, which is ironic considering that the
next decade would bring the ruin of the
depression. When E.W Cole was starting
his journey to success, business was on
the minds of most people in Melbourne.
In fact, Melbourne was flourishing in a
number of ways; the population was
increasing due to immigration and the
sharpening competition in international
tradevii. The number of merchants was
ever increasing, new buildings were
appearing and the existing ones were
being upgraded. Migrants flocked to the
city in search of career opportunities
which meant that new jobs had to be
created. Melbourne was making its mark
on the map as a metropolis.viii So when in
1873, after Cole had well and truly
established himself as a man of notice at
Bourke Street East, his business would
have been very successful.

Figure 4: Published in 1879, Coles

Funny Picture Books became one of the
3
most popular books in Australia.

laughter and education. In Coles Arcade

you could find a fernery, monkeys, a
band, fortune tellers, a toy department,
mechanical hens and trick mirrors just to
name a few- as well as books of course,
millions of them.xi
The ideals and morals that Cole practiced
were also very much present in his
arcade. Being a firm believer in free
education for all, Cole still maintained
that customers did not have to buy books,
but were welcome to look at them for as
long as they please, even though this did
cause a little financial trouble.

Marvellous man

Figure 3: 1923. Courtesy: Trove.

George D. Dean describes Cole as
Melbournes most colourful,
unorthodox, flamboyant and
unpredictable businessmanix, and it was
for this reason that people flocked to his
Arcade, as these characteristics were very
much tangible in his franchise. Due to his
success and ambition, Cole was able to
extend his Arcade from Bourke Street to
Collins Street, which came to be known
as Coles Walk.x With such a large space
to work with, Cole was able to transform
his Arcade into a truly impressive hub of

Figure 5: Being generous isnt always

helpful. 1913. Courtesy: Trove.

This reflected
very much I believe on his character; he
was a man loved by all, a decent man
with a genuine wish for harmony
amongst everyone. Cole not only stocked
these books, but he also had a section of
his arcade dedicated to printing, which he
did for himself and others.xii This was
perhaps a nod to the fact that he struggled
to have his own work printed in 1863.
4

Leaving behind an impressive story of

his own
Coles Trustees (his daughter, son-in-law,
and his bank manager) did not co-operate
when running things after his death. After
many problems, and after a few years of
struggling, Coles Arcade, his proudest
achievement, was closed in June, 1929.xiv

Customers from all walks of life were

drawn to his Arcade (how could they not
be), as to step inside Coles Arcade was
to be met with a world of joy.

Coles Arcade, in its time, was deservedly

one of Melbournes finest attractions. The
effort that Edward put into it was
definitely worth all the hard work. It
brought people from different worlds
together, much like bookshops still do
today. As Chris Redfern says, going to a
bookshop is a cultural experience, a
curated experience.xv I imagine going to
Coles Arcade would have most certainly
been a cultural experience, and a
memorable one at that. The fact that
Edward created a place that combined
education with happiness is what marks
him as a great man in Melbournes
history. It is unfortunate that his Arcade
failed to continue after his death, as if it
were still existing in Melbourne today, it
would still be a place that people from
around the country would flock too. Cole
has gone down in Melbournes history as
a story of great success and admiration.
He built himself up from small
beginnings to becoming such an
important figure who was responsible for
touching many hearts.

Figure 6: A testament to how popular

Coles Arcade was, 1904. Courtesy:
Trove.
Seeing his booming Arcade flourish, Cole
extended his institution and set up
smaller shops in both Sydney and
Adelaide. His business ran smoothly and
was one of Melbournes famous sites,
until his death on the 16th of December,
1918, when those he left his legacy to
eventually shut it down.xiii

Henry Williams says it best:

This great Book Arcade and her
founders prophetic utterances...will
make his historic personality clearly
visible against the skyline of Australian
history for centuries to come.xvi

Primary Sources
Cole, E.W, Cream of his thoughts: selections from the writings of Edward William Cole
[compiled by Ada Belinda Cole] (Melbourne: Mitchell & Casey, 1916)
Henry Williams, Coles Book Arcade: Album of photographs, 1923, available from State
Library of Victoria, http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?
DOCCHOICE=3933499.xml&dvs=1477393235149~357&locale=en_US&search_terms=
&adjacency=&VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?
&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true, accessed 1 October
2016.
Coles Book Arcade, The Argus, 17 December 1904, 13, available from Trove,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10355877?searchTerm=Cole%27s%20Book
%20Arcade&searchLimits=l-availability=y|||l-state=Victoria#, accessed 2 October, 2016.
Coles Book Arcade, West Gippland Gazette, 30 September 1913, available from Trove,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68665661?searchTerm=edward%20w.
%20cole&searchLimits=, accessed 2 October 2016.

Image List
Figure 1: Spencer Shier, Edward Cole outside Lowther Hall, 1883, available from Trove,
http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?
DOCCHOICE=2061459.xml&dvs=1477280872588~23&locale=en_US&search_terms=&
adjacency=&VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?
&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true, viewed 10 October
2016.
Figure 2: Henry Williams, , 1923, available from State Library of Victoria,
http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?
DOCCHOICE=3933499.xml&dvs=1477393235149~357&locale=en_US&search_terms=
&adjacency=&VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?
&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true, accessed 1 October
2016.
Figure 3: Henry Williams, Arcade Band, 1923, available from State Library of Victoria,
http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?
DOCCHOICE=3933499.xml&dvs=1477393235149~357&locale=en_US&search_terms=
&adjacency=&VIEWER_URL=/view/action/nmets.do?
&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true, accessed 1 October
2016.

Figure 4: http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/238.php, accessed 15 October, 2016.

Figure 5: Coles Book Arcade, The Argus, 17 December 1904, 13, available from Trove,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10355877?searchTerm=Cole%27s%20Book
%20Arcade&searchLimits=l-availability=y|||l-state=Victoria#, accessed 2 October, 2016.

Figure 6: Coles Book Arcade, The Argus, 17 December 1904, 13, available from Trove,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10355877?searchTerm=Cole%27s%20Book
%20Arcade&searchLimits=l-availability=y|||l-state=Victoria#, accessed 2 October, 2016.

All reasonable attempts have been made to only use photographs and images known to be
out of copyright and/or in the public domain. If any copyright holders have been
inadvertently overlooked, please contact the author so that a suitable arrangement can be
made.

Secondary Sources

Cannon, Michael, Melbourne after the Gold Rush (Victoria: Loch Haven Books, 1993)

Davidson, Graeme, The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne (Melbourne: Melbourne
University Press, 1978)

Dean, George D., A Handbook on E. W. Cole: His Book Arcade, Tokens and Medals
(Tarragindi: G.D & G.F. Dean, 1988)

Holden, Matt, Theres plenty of spine left in bookshops, Age, 18 September 2016, 3.

Turnley, E. Cole, Cole, Edward William (1832-1918), Australian Dictionary of Biography

[website] (1969), http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cole-edward-william-3243, accessed 2
October 2016

ENDNOTES:

iGraeme Davidson, The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne (Melbourne: Melbourne University
Press, 1978), 11.
ii George D. Dean, A Handbook on E.W. Cole: His Book Arcade, Tokens and Medals (Tarragindi: G.D & G.F Dean,
1988), 7.

iii E. Cole Turnley, Cole, Edward William (1832-1918), Australian Dictionary of Biography [website] (1969),
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cole-edward-william-3243, accessed 2 Oct. 2016

iv E.W Cole, Cream of his thoughts: selections from the writings of Edward William Cole [compiled by Ada Belinda
Cole] (Melbourne: Mitchell & Casey, 1916), 7.

v Dean, 1988, 12.

vi Dean, 1988, 17.
viiGraeme Davidson, The Rise and Fall of Marvellous Melbourne (Melbourne: Melbourne
University Press, 1978), 21
viii Ibid, 11.
ix George D. Dean, A Handbook on E.W. Cole: His Book Arcade, Tokens and Medals (Tarragindi: G.D & G.F Dean,
1988), 5.

x Ibid, 19.
xi Ibid, 21.
xii Ibid, 24.
xiii Ibid, 25.
xiv Ibid, 26.
xv Matt Holden, Theres plenty of spine left in bookshops. Age, 18 Sep. 2016, 3.
xvi Henry Williams, Coles Book Arcade: Album of photographs, 1923, available from State Library of Victoria,
http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/action/nmets.do?
DOCCHOICE=3933499.xml&dvs=1477393235149~357&locale=en_US&search_terms=&adjacency=&VIEWER_UR
L=/view/action/nmets.do?&DELIVERY_RULE_ID=4&divType=&usePid1=true&usePid2=true, accessed 1 October
2016.