On the eve of the First World War, the British Empire, ‘on which the sun never set’, was the largest the world had ever seen. A quarter of the world's land mass was under direct British rule, though Britain's political and commercial influence extended well beyond the territories coloured pink on maps of the day. Any number of Cobbolds or their kin could be considered agents of this vast empire; those who fought for it, traded with it or entered its public service all played a part. Even those who became missionaries were spreading notions of Britishness in far off lands. However, the vanguard of Britain's imperial juggernaut comprised hardy pioneers who embodied the frontier spirit; men for whom a safe, lucrative career and a comfortable life in England were simply not enough.

William Cain, Frank E. Cobbold and Charles Cobbold (‘CC’) Farr were all such men. Many who left Britain's shores for the colonies and Dominions went in search of their fortune: many returned shortly afterwards with their dreams in tatters. Cain, Cobbold and Farr suffered their fair share of setbacks far from home but simply refused to give in. Frank Cobbold and CC Farr, in particular, overcame great personal adversity during the early years of their adventures: the former at sea, among the wild tribes of the south-west Pacific and in the Australian outback; the latter in the remote reaches of northern Ontario.