Thomas Melrose Coombe was born in Melrose, South Australia, on 3 December 1873. He went to school at Caterer's School in Norwood, Hahndorf College, and Prince Alfred College in Adelaide, before moving with his family to Perth to import sporting goods.
Coombe played as a right-handed batsman for the Claremont-Cottesloe Cricket Club and represented Western Australia. His sole first-class appearance as a player came against South Australia at the WACA Ground in January 1906, where he scored 15 runs at an average of 7.50.
He later stepped onto the field in a different capacity by serving as an umpire in a single first-class match when South Australia toured at the end of the 1908-09 season.
Beyond cricket, Coombe built a major career in business and philanthropy, financing the construction of several large cinemas in Perth and Fremantle, including the Ambassadors Theatre on Hay Street.
He was knighted during a visit to England in June 1924 for his public services, later moved to Surrey, and died there on 22 June 1959 at the age of 85.