Edward William Cole, Australian utopist

Abstract

Edward William Cole, a simple gold digger at the beginning, became the owner of the grandest bookshop of Australia. As a child of the industrial revolution, the expanding world and the beginning of globalization, he whole-heartedly professed the omnipotence of knowledge and science, constantly educated himself, spent his free time in libraries, and enjoyed discussing social changes and technological achievements as a member of many discussion groups. Through his writings, we can gain an insight not only into the life of Victorian Australia, but also into the future he envisioned.

What thoughts preoccupied this man who always wanted to learn so eagerly? What did he think about the future of the world, technical achievements, social changes, and the impact of all this on the future of humanity? What has or could have come true from his ideas? The author of the study looks for the answers in Cole's own writings, while also examining the assumptions and predictions made in the second half of the 19th century through 21st century analyses.