Tom Cole

Background

He was born at Jamberoo to emancipist farmer William Cole and Annabella Mackenzie.

Career

He expanded his property holdings and moved away from the partnership to show cattle alone. From 1882 to 1890 he was an alderman at Kiama, and he was an unsuccessful Free Trade candidate for Kiama at the 1889 and 1895 elections. In 1895 he moved to Nowra, and he would later relocate to Sydney, where he promoted the dairy industry, particularly co-operation across the colony.

From 1899 he was manager of the Scottish Australian Investment Company"s farms near Adaminaby, where he integrated his own Illawarra stock.

In 1907-1908 he transferred to Darbalara. His herd at Darbalara was the first to receive regular government testing, and it was publicised widely.

One of his cows broke world production records twice, and he was awarded by the New South Wales Chamber of Agriculture in 1925 for eminent service. In 1926 the Darbalara herd was discontinued, and Cole retired.

He died at Glebe in 1927.

Achievements

• In the ongoing contention between the Milking Shorthorn and Illawarra Dairy Cattle strains, Cole was the leader of the Milking Shorthorn party, and his animals won most awards for the breed in the 1910s and early 1920s.