Historical information about the house called 'Rakeevan', situated in Graceville, Brisbane. The house was originally built for Charles Hardie Buzzacott in 1888 and was called 'Verney'. John Ferguson bought the house in 1895 as a residence for his daughter Mary Ann Ferdinando Ferguson and her husband Alfred Henry Chambers, who named it 'Rakeevan'. When they moved, John Ferguson presented the house to his second daughter, Catherine Jane Ferguson and her husband Joshua Thomas Bell. The house, after more changes of ownership and usage is now an aged care facility with the original name of 'Verney' and is heritage listed.

Transcript of memoir of Francis Needham Bell. -- Four exercise books containing a written history of Francis Needham Bell. -- Letters from Ken Little to Francis Bell, most from Bendon, Barcaldine. -- Newspaper cuttings, article on rowing by Francis Bell. -- ‘Plea of a Pipe’ by CBP Bell. -- Note from Colin CBP Bell to son Francis on his appointment to Portland Downs on finishing school, 5 Dec 1927. -- Note re Francis, 17 Dec 1926.

Dance card details: Wednesday, 18 July 1934 Longreach Gold Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 20 July 1934, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Friday, 9 November 1934, Longreach First Annual Diggers' Ball, Shire Hall, tangled. -- Thursday, 18 July 1935, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 8 November 1935, Longreach Second Annual Diggers' Ball, tangled, Crest of Returned Sailors & Soldiers Imperial League Australia on cover. -- Friday, 1 May 1936, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 3 July 1936, Bachelors' Ball, 1936, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, no pencil. -- Wednesday, 22 July 1936, Longreach Gold Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Thursday, 23 July 1936, Caledonian Association Longreach Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 24 July 1936 Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 13 November 1936, Diggers' Ball, Longreach Shire Hall, tangled. -- Thursday, 29 April 1937, Bachelors' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, tangled, List of Barcaldine Bachelors on last page. -- Friday, 30 April 1937, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Annual Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine,tangled. -- Thursday, 22 July 1937,Caledonian Association, Longreach, Annual Ball, no pencil. --Friday, 23 July 1937 Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 23 July 1937, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 20 August 1937, Matrons' & Spinsters' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, tangled. -- Friday, 12 November 1937, Diggers' Ball, Longreach Shire Hall, tangled. -- Thursday, 21 July 1938, Caledonian Association, Longreach, Twenty-first Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Friday, 11 November 1938, Diggers' Ball, Shire Hall, Longreach, no pencil. -- 1939, Matrons' Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 21 July 1939, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Thursday, 18 April 1940, Barcaldine and District Bachelors' and Spinsters' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, no pencil. -- Friday, 19 April 1940, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Share Hall, Barcaldine, tangled. -- Friday, 24 May 1940 Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball, tangled. -- Friday, 12 July 1940, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, tangled. -- Wednesday, 23 April 1941, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Shire Hall, Barcaldine tangled, Friday, 18 July 1941, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, half of booklet missing, Friday, 17 May 1946, Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball, tangled. -- Tuesday, 22 July 1958, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball, undated, tangled.

Correspondence regarding the estate of Marmaduke Charles Alexander Bell, son of Marmaduke Bell and Agnes Emily Sipper St. Leger (nee Burckhardt). MCA Bell died in 1942.

Correspondence from Charles Needham to Francis Needham Bell. Charles Needham, a public accountant, was Francis Bell's uncle.

Letter from letter to Mrs R. C. Jameson [Mrs Rowand Chalmer Jameson] (Sybil Margaret Grace Bell, daughter of Colin Basil Peter and Theodora Sybil Francis Bell) regarding gravestone inscription for her mother, 14 Nov 1947; The death of Donald Thistlethwayte [husband of Mary Alexander Moffatt], 20 Sep 1933; Part of a Funeral Order of Service, undated; Handwritten copy of lyrics to “Mandalay”, undated.

Publications collected by or featuring a person from the Bell family.

1. The Australian Pastoralist, Vol. 16 , No. 7, March 10, 1924. Features a story about the early days on the Darling Downs.
2. The Field : the country gentleman's newspaper Vol. CXLVII, no. 3823, Thursday, Apirl 1, 1926. Cover and story inside regarding the The University Boat Race in which J.B. Bell [J.P. Bell?] was one of the rowers.
3. Dr Bradfield’s scheme for watering inland Queensland [reprint from Longreach Leader, 31 Dec 1938]
4. Reproduction print of Goulds 'Graucalus mentalis'.
5. Reproduction print of Goulds 'Eurystomus Australia'.
6. Reproduction of the 1891 Agreement between the Pastoralists' Federal Council of Australia (NSW) and the Amalgamated Shearers' Union of Australasia (NSW); with additional information at the bottom of the agreement; on the reverse a collage of copies of b&w photographs of shearers and advertisements from the era.

Some of the social events that Francis Needham Bell participated in. Includes: Longreach, Isisford, Yalleroi, Barcaldine and desert amateur picnic race club statements, programs and reports, 1930 to 1943. -- Race Book of Colil Basil Peter Bell, 1904. -- 31 Dance cards of Francis Needham Bell, 1932 to 1946.

Dance card details: Wednesday, 18 July 1934 Longreach Gold Club's Annual Ball. -- Friday, 20 July 1934, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Friday, 9 November 1934, Longreach First Annual Diggers' Ball, Shire Hall. -- Thursday, 18 July 1935, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Friday, 8 November 1935, Longreach Second Annual Diggers' Ball, crest of Returned Sailors & Soldiers Imperial League Australia on cover. -- Friday, 1 May 1936, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club Annual Ball. -- Friday, 3 July 1936, Bachelors' Ball, 1936, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, no pencil. -- Wednesday, 22 July 1936, Longreach Gold Club's Annual Ball. -- Thursday, 23 July 1936, Caledonian Association Longreach Annual Ball. -- Friday, 24 July 1936 Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Friday, 13 November 1936, Diggers' Ball, Longreach Shire Hall. -- Thursday, 29 April 1937, Bachelors' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, list of Barcaldine Bachelors on last page. -- Friday, 30 April 1937, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Annual Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine,tangled. -- Thursday, 22 July 1937, Caledonian Association, Longreach, Annual Ball, no pencil. --Friday, 23 July 1937 Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Friday, 23 July 1937, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Friday, 20 August 1937, Matrons' & Spinsters' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine. -- Friday, 12 November 1937, Diggers' Ball, Longreach Shire Hall. -- Thursday, 21 July 1938, Caledonian Association, Longreach, Twenty-first Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Friday, 11 November 1938, Diggers' Ball, Shire Hall, Longreach, no pencil. -- 1939, Matrons' Ball. -- Friday, 21 July 1939, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Thursday, 18 April 1940, Barcaldine and District Bachelors' and Spinsters' Ball, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, no pencil. -- Friday, 19 April 1940, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Share Hall, Barcaldine. -- Friday, 24 May 1940 Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball. -- Friday, 12 July 1940, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball. -- Wednesday, 23 April 1941, Barcaldine Amateur Racing Club, Shire Hall, Barcaldine, - -- Friday, 18 July 1941, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, -- Friday, 17 May 1946, Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball. -- Tuesday, 22 July 1958, Longreach Amateur Race Club's Annual Ball, no pencil. -- Tower Hill Picnic Amateur Race Club Annual Ball, undated.

Peeps into Dalby’s Glorious Racing Past: 1859-1959, Dalby Benefit Race Club, ca. 1959. Newspaper cutting on Queensland Thoroughbreds from The Queenslander, 6 Feb 1936.

Colin Basil Peter Bell: Invitation to The Australasian Club event, 19 Nov 1887 [featuring an Australian coast of arms, toast list, menu and list of club members]; Share certificate for The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited, 5 Aug 1935; packing slip from Beard, Watson & Co for C. Bell Esq, 27 Jul 1929.

Letters to Colin Basil Peter Bell from various people, except his mother, Margaret Miller Bell, from 1894 to 1933