Under The Rainbow: The Life And Times Of E.W. Cole

  

A new book lately added to the Bibliography of Local and Family History Resources for Essendon, Flemington and Keilor is the above biography of E W Cole, by Richard Broinowski.  Published by Melbourne University Press, the book is to be launched on 4 September 2020.   The Age carried an article about Cole today, "The Man Who Rewrote Retail", pages 4-5 of The Spectrum 29 August 2020.

Other than his fame as the founder of Cole's Picture Book Arcade, Cole was best know locally for residing at the former Coiler McCracken house in Leslie Road, Earlesbrae Hall, which by chance featured in yesterday's blog post about the Essendon Golf Club

An album of photographs of Cole's Book Arcade features a photo of the boss about to travel in style to his place of business.  Compiled by Henry Williams in 1923, the album is now in the collection of the State Library of Victoria: Papers of Edward William Cole, MS 10111.

Check out the stylishly dressed coachman!

Essendon Golf Club

In 1896 a group of the social and financial elite of Essendon got together and built a golf course on land just south of the railway line near Essendon Station.  They also acquired or built a club house on Buckley St, just south of St Columba's Convent School.  The suburb, however, was developing quickly, necessitating a number of moves, until the club amalgamated with the Moreland Golf Club, and a golf course and club known as the Northern Golf Club was firmly established in Glenroy.

Further details are available on the Time Travellers website.