This is a book about Edward Cole, who had many adventures trying to make his fortune including gold digger to pie baker. He built Cole's Book Arcade in Bourke St. It was famous around the world as a huge book store but expanded just like Amazon, to sell a lot more than books. It was more a department store, complete with tea rooms but not to be confused with the Coles supermarket chain which bought his site after he died, hoping to cash in on the similar name. That site is now where David Jones is located. The other connection for me is the huge mansion in Essendon known as Earlesbrae. Edward Cole bought it in 1911 to become his own residence away from the city. This in turn was sold to the Anglicans to become the girl's school Lowther Hall.
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| 1880's |
How interesting!
ReplyDeleteThere is a bit more to it. The house was built by the McCraken family as in McCraken St. They were brewers who made millions selling beer on the Gold Fields. They built the house but never used it letting it dilapidate until Edward Cole came along and fixed it up again. The other claim to fame for the McCrakens is starting the Essendon Football Club.
ReplyDeleteWell there you go 😁
ReplyDelete