Thomas CotoPrint Page

Plaque commemorates pioneer Chinese local resident, Thomas Coto, who died in 1883. The plaque was erected by the Victorian 150th Commemorative Committee. 

Thomas Coto arrived in Victoria in 1850 and became a successful farmer in the Sale district in Victoria. He was a prominent public benefactor and was instrumental in preventing the wages of agricultural labourers in the Maffra-Sale region from being lowered. For a time in the 1880s he ran a cheese factory at a loss to help ease unemployment in the area.

Considerable surprise and regret was evinced in Sale on Monday afternoon when it became known that Mr Thomas Coto of Bundalaguah had died of inflammation of the lungs caused by a cold that he had recently contracted. He was one of oldest, and most enterprising farmers in the district and was noted for his undoubted integrity and honesty, and was in consequence highly respected and esteemed. The deceased who was a native of Amoy in China arrived in Gippsland in 1849, with the late Mr Angus McMillan, the discoverer of Gippsland and some time afterwards entered into farming pursuits on a small scale which occupation he pursued with varying success for many years, having on several occassions nearly succumbed to the misfortunes which continued bad season brought upon him. By indominable perserverance and energy he struggled on and laterly fortune smiled upon him and at the time of his death, he had accumulated a large amount of valuable property. He was a large employer of farm labourers, by whom he was always greatly respected, was ever ready and willing to extend a helping hand in cases of distress and in an unassuming and quiet manner he performed charitable deeds that would set an example to his more enlightened and wealthy brethren.

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