James Poole was born in Cornwall in 1848. It is not known when he arrived in Australia, but he eventually joined up with David James at Kapunda in contracting activities.

After subscribing to the Mount Gipps syndicate he also became discouraged, and disposed of a one fourteenth share in 'the Broken Hill mine on Mount Gipps' on July 28, 1884, to Sidney Kidman for ten steers. Early in 1885 Poole sold his remaining one fourteenth share to S. Davis for £4,500. Poole then left the Broken Hill field and lived for a time at Burra, and at Kapunda. His brother, Thomas Poole, was a butcher in Broken Hill for many years.

Poole later took up some farming land at Cunderdin, in Western Australia, but was compelled to abandon his property because of drought conditions. He returned to Kapunda where, in the closing years of his life, he was employed by Sir Sidney Kidman who, by this time had become famous as the millionaire Cattle King. James Poole died at Kapunda on September 29, 1924, aged 76 years.