Nationality English Spouse(s) Kathleen Callen Died 1995 | Other names Tom Cole Children 2 daughters Other name Tom Cole | |
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Born 1906 London (United Kingdom) Books Spears and Smoke Signals: Exciting True Tales by a Buffalo and Croc Shooter | ||
Thomas Edward Cole (1906-1995) better known as Tom Cole was a labourer, stockman, buffalo hunter, crocodile shooter, coffee grower and author who rode the Australian Northern Territory outback.
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Early life
Cole was born in 1906 in London, the eldest son of Ernest Cole and Adelaide Arundel. In 1923, after a falling out with his father and following World War 1, he sailed on board Ormuz to Australia.
Outback life
Cole started out in Queensland in the Blackall Ranges as a rouseabout or stockman, moving from here to Lake Nash in the Northern Territory and then onto droving cattle down the Birdsville delivering cattle to other states in Australia. He met and worked for many of the big cattle properties. He worked at many jobs in these first few years, cook at Brunette Downs to a position on one of Sidney Kidman's properties. By 1928 he was appointed Head Stockman at Wave Hill Station one of the Vestey's properties. Cole moved around the stations in the early 1930s as a horse breaker with Vestey's.
By 1932 Cole tried buffalo hunting with Harry Hardy and sold horses to other shooters. He continued buffalo hunting, acquiring a lease at Kapalga, near the Wildman River and then in 1937 buying properties near Pine Creek, Goodparla and Esmeralda which his partner stocked with cattle. Gold deposits were later mined at Esmeralda. In 1932, Cole was at Kapalga where he received word from Jack Hales on the Maroubra about two pearling luggers Raf and Myrtle Olpa which had called into Caledon Bay on the Arnhem Coast and the entire crew had been speared. He heard more about the massacre from other lugger crews that called in to load his hides.