This transcription of the original item was compiled and annotated by Richard Fotheringham. There is a note in the top right-hand corner 'In the posession [sic] of Hon. Joshua Thomas Bell circ. 1908-9'. Footnote on first page: 'Two manuscript notes in different hands are written in the right margin at this point ... indicates that this was compiled c. 1902 (Thomas died Jan 1904).' These recollections were shared with his son, Arthur Hoey Davis (1868-1935) (whose pen name was Steele Rudd) mostly likely in the early 1900's. Thomas Davis was a former convict. His memoir covers the period from 1849 to the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Davis initially worked with J. C. Burnett's Survey Party. He recounts stories of the places he visited and their history, various encounters with local indigenous groups and individuals, language and culture of the Aboriginal people of the area, kinship system in the Maronoa and Balonne region, and a list of more than 100 names and phrases in the dialect of the people of the Balonne, Dawson and Comet river. Joshua Peter Bell is mentioned several times in memoir. This and other recollections by Thomas Davis were collected by Joshua Thomas Bell in the first decade of the 20th century.

Photographs, correspondence, diaries, journals, newspaper cuttings, personal papers relating to the Bell Family, Jimbour Station, various Bell Family properties, Jimbour House, and its occupants.

Correspondence to Colin Basil Peter Bell regarding Joshua Thomas Bell’s (Joey) death, 28 letters, 1910 to 1911. Correspondence to Colin Basil Peter Bell regarding Joshua Thomas Bell’s (Joey) death, 12 telegrams, 1911.

Photocopies of correspondence to Colin Basil Peter Bell regarding Joshua Thomas Bell’s (Joey) death, 28 letters, 1910 to 1911. Correspondence to Colin Basil Peter Bell regarding Joshua Thomas Bell’s (Joey) death, 12 telegrams, 1911.

Joshua Thomas Bell (Joey) letters to his brother Colin Basil Peter Bell and Catherine Bell (nee Ferguson), wife of Joey Bell, 14 letters, 1889 to 1910.

Letter to Joshua Thomas Bell with resume for Richard Welford by ED [Edward Decimus] Harries, 3 copies, 12 Sep 1908

Handmade photograph album with gold embossed title on cover The tour of His Excellency the Governor through Northern & Western Queensland, 1908. Cover has the top left-hand cover torn away thus first words of the inscription on the inside cover is missing: [To Colin] Bell from Ralph Verney in remembrance of a very pleasant tour. Ralph Verney was aide-de-camp to the Governor. The Governor, Frederick John Napier Thesiger, (Lord Chelmsford) accompanied by the Minister for Lands, Joshua Thomas Bell, left Brisbane on June 13 on a tour in Northern and North-western Queensland. Photographs:

1. A change of horses
2. Constable Dick
3. Irvinebank
4. Inspector Malone
5. The native cooks at Forest Home
6. Forest Home
7. An Aboriginal
8. Forest Home
9. His Excellency’s Goat Escort at Georgetown
10. His Excellency’s Goat escort at Georgetown
11. Main St, Georgetown
12. The luggage, Mr Mooney and Mr Smith
13. Floraville Post Office
14. Warandingo
15. The start from Inverleigh Station
16. Our hotel at Burketown
17. Burketown water supply
18. Burketown bore
19. Gregory Downs Hotel
20. Rocklands
21. A Bore at Rocklands
22. Gate in Boundary fence between Queensland and Northern Territory
23. Boundary fence between Queensland and Northern Territory
24. Colin Bell on the left, His Excellency, and Inspector McGrath on the right
25. A midday meal
26. Our Camp
27. The Australian Gum Trees
28. Roughing it
29. A midday halt
30. Colin Bell (1867-1934) on the trip with the Governor, and his brother Joshua Thomas Bell who was Minister for Lands and The Speaker
31. Packing up in the morning
32. On the road [in horse drawn carriage]
33. Coming out of the Leichhardt river [in horse drawn carriage]
34. The Leichhardt River
35. The bath at Rocklands
36. Harnessing up
37. On the road
38. The luggage buggy on the road
39. Starting for the days journey
40. Putting in the horses
41. Native Trackers
42. Native Trackers
43. Colin Bell and Fogarty bringing the horses out

This file has three typescript copies (two are carbon copies) of 'Recollections of Thomas Davis' collected by Steele Rudd, two of which have a note in the top right-hand corner 'In the posession [sic] of Hon. Joshua Thomas Bell circ. 1908-9'. One copy has handwritten emandations.

These recollections were shared with his son, Arthur Hoey Davis (1868-1935) (whose pen name was Steele Rudd) mostly likely in the early 1900's. Thomas Davis was a former convict. His memoir covers the period from 1849 to the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. Davis initially worked with J. C. Burnett's Survey Party. He recounts stories of the places he visited and their history, various encounters with local indigenous groups and individuals, language and culture of the Aboriginal people of the area, kinship system in the Maronoa and Balonne region, and a list of more than 100 names and phrases in the dialect of the people of the Balonne, Dawson and Comet river. Joshua Peter Bell is mentioned several times in memoir. This and other recollections by Thomas Davis were collected by Joshua Thomas Bell in the first decade of the 20th century.

Two scrapbooks with newspaper cuttings, correspondence, handwritten notes, and diary entries relating to Joshua Thomas Bell from 1903 to 1910. Inside cover of first book has 'Joshua Bell (1)' and the second 'Joshua Bell (2)'. Dairy entries indicate these scrapbooks belong to Catherine Bell.

Joshua Bell (1) scrapbook includes: diary entries about the Parliamentary Cup of 1904, a trip from Gladstone to Roma with many stops to rest their horses (including a story about the naming of Mt. Redshirt), a trip with 'Joey driving 4 strong horses in the dogcart', leaving on 6 Oct 1907, the trip on the Government steamer Lucinda in May 1908, a tour of the Burnett district in June 1906, ; newspaper cuttings about Joshua T. Bell, John Ferguson; flyers from Queensland Railways for the "Special train" for the Minister for Railways (J.T. Bell) in June 1907, April 1908, 4 Jun 1908; and one b&w photograph of the residents of Leichhardt in front of their Shire Hall.

Joshua Bell (2) scrapbook includes: diary entries for 1909-1910, two b&w photographs (one of the Leichhardt Tree and one of the welcome sign at Taroom?); invitation to the offical farewell dinner for Lord Chelmsford in May 1909 and seating plan ; seating plan with Lord Dudley at the center.

Letter 29 January 1896 re: appointment of Justices of the Peace.