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.

Photocopies of Letters Patent of Thomas Willis for ‘an improved detachable fencing standard?’, 1905. Photocopies of documents and advertisements about the ‘improved detachable fence standards’ ‘The Westland Dropper’, invented by Thomas T. Willis, c1905 to 192?

Photocopies of facsimiles of Jimbour land titles, Bell family wills, receipts and disbursements, 1906 to 1992.

Photocopies of parts of scrapbook of Catherine Jane Bell (nee Ferguson) (1847-1943), 1906 to 1910

Typescript poem 'The victory : Murwillumbah ... Sept 15th 1907-8'. Unpublished. Most likely written by George Essex Evans. Found in the book A new star atlas for the library, school, and the observatory in twelve circular maps by Richard A. Proctor. The book was donated by the family of George Essex Evans. The poem is accompanied by newspaper cuttings from the period 1922-1929, mostly relating to astronomy that were also inserted into Proctor's book.

Letter, handwritten, dated 1907 Sept 3, Brisbane, to Mr. Sampson. Chelmsford’s letter congratulates Sampson on a concert, 1 leaf, 21 cm. Accompanying handwritten letter, 1 leaf, 18cm pasted onto 23 cm leaf, by [T.G.?] Newton requesting a photograph of Sampson for his excellency (Chelmsford) to take with him when he leaves Queensland, dated May 10

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

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

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.