State Library of South Australia

George William Cole. [PRG 1710/10/2] • Photograph

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Summary

Enlarged section of a larger group portrait, featuring George William Cole (centre) wearing a suit and vest. He is standing with a group of other men, names unknown. Original photograph: 21 x 29.7 cm.

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Physical description

Electronic files (images)
Photograph (black and white, digital), TIFF, 3372 x 4993 pixels, 48.1 MB.

Dates / Publication details

Approximately 1890

Creator

Cole (Family

Subject

Cole, George William, 1823-1893
Cole, George, 1792-1853
Pioneers -- South Australia.
Sepulchral Monuments -- South Australia -- Walkerville.

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

General notes

See also B47792 and B47769/15T for other photographs of George William Cole.

Historical information

George Cole was born in Chichester, Sussex, England on 2 May 1792, and was a member of the Bible Christian Society in Chichester. in approximately 1820 he married Sarah Cooper (ca.1797-1837) and they had seven children: Charlotte Ann, George William (1823-1893), Sarah Jane, Thurza Lucy, Tryphena, Aaron, and William George Cooper (1837-1912). After the death of his wife in November 1837, he remarried, to Jane nee Mitchell in 1839, and then left England for the colony of South Australia with his family on 10 March 1839 aboard the 'Lysander', arriving at Adelaide on 6 July 1839. He was a member of the Wesleyan Society and committed to the principles of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks, and in December 1839, along with six others, formed the South Australian Total Abstinence Society. He was a local preacher among the Wesleyan Methodists until June 1851, and then with the Bible Christians. His profession was in wood and stone carving and the art of sculpture. He died while conducting a religious service in the Temperance Reading Rooms, Brown Street, likely of a stroke, on Sunday 20 November 1853. See obituary in the 'Adelaide Times', Tuesday 29 November 1853, page 3, for more details.

George William Cole was a prominent figure in religious and political affairs in the early years of the colony of South Australia. He was the eldest son of George and Sarah Cole, born on 15 January 1823 in Lindford, Sussex, England, and spent most of his childhood in Chichester. , and moved to Adelaide, South Australia, with his father and family in 1839. He was a supporter of the Temperance Movement, since signing the pledge of temporance at a meeting in 1838, and on 1 January 1840 he was chosen as one of the Honourable Secretaries of a new movement - the foundation of a Total Abstinence Society in the colony, and served as Honourable Secretary for over fifty years. He was a member of the Independent Order of Rechabites, and was an instituting officer for the South Australian Southern Star Tent in June 1848 and formation of the South Australian District No. 81, and later the Albert District No. 83, holding prominent positions in each until his retirement from office in 1893. He held the position of City Valuator for twenty eight years, and was a local preacher of the Wesleyan Church from 1844. From 1860-1867 he was a member of Parliament and sat in the House of Assembly representing the seat of Burra, and advocated the closure of public railways on Sundays and the abolition of alcohol. On 1 December 1845 he married Ann Elizabeth Mitchell, and they had five children: Jessie Gravely (1847-1870), Annie Elizabeth (1851-1878), George Mitchell (1854-1884), Rosa Jane (1858-1942), and Emma Tryphena (1861-1926). He died in his home in Melbourne Street, North Adelaide, after illness, on 4 December 1893, aged 71. See obituary in the 'South Australian Register', Tuesday 5 December 1893, page 3, 'The late Mr G.W. Cole' for more details.

Digitisation information

Date

24/05/2017

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

3,372 x 4,993 pixels (16.8 MP)

Size

50.53 MB

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