Tom Cole (stockman)

Cole died on 9 December 1995, survived by his three daughters. His wife predeceased him in 1987.

In 1994 Cole was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to history. His publication, Hell West and Crooked sold over 100,000 copies.

Cole moved to Papua New Guinea in 1950, where he worked as a professional crocodile shooter. He was granted land in 1955 and developed a coffee plantation. He also worked a sawmill for a time.

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.

Cole worked at many jobs in these first few years a 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.

Thomas Ernest Cole OAM (28 February 1906 – 9 December 1995) was a labourer, stockman, buffalo hunter, crocodile shooter, coffee grower and writer who rode the Australian Northern Territory outback.

Cole was born on 28 February 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 I, he sailed on board Ormuz to Australia.