Notes from Alexander Johnston. Typescript and carbon copy, 4 leaves, with note on first page ‘In the possession of the Hon. J. T. Bell. Circ. 1908-9’, undated. One typescript copy, 3 leaves, undated. Johnston recalls his time on the Darling Downs where he arrived in 1842, his time in Canning Downs, hostilities with Aboriginal Australians including at Soldiers' Flat and Laidley, Jimbour, Dalby, and people such as Ludwig Leichhardt, Henry Dennis, and Warraba.

Handwritten notes of the recollections of James Fernival about Jimbour, Henry Dennis, Warabah, and various properties on the Darling Downs, 8 leaves, undated. Attached to handwritten notes is a newspaper cutting from The Queenslander, 7 Jan 1899, of a letter to the editor, ‘Jimbour History’ by Charles Dun, dated 27 Dec. Typescript copy of the handwritten notes of the 'Recollections of James Fernival' with handwritten note on first page ‘circ. 1908-9 in the possession of the late Hon. J.T. Bell’ , 6 leaves.

Fernival's recollections include: Henry Dennis, Thomas Bell, Jimbour Station, Ludwig Leichhardt, Joe King, Joshua Peter Bell, the various stations in the Darling Downs area and who owned them, Charles Coxen, Warraba ("W.H. Warraba", died in 1893), Bungaree, Billy Crow, George Goggs, and others.

This files includes: correspondence, notes, newspaper cuttings, 'Order of Service ... on the 125th anniversary of the famly of The Hon Sir Joshua Peter Bell commencing residence in Jimbour House 7 April 2002', and 'Order of proceedings' for the cellar door opening on 7 April 2002.

Papers, notes, newspaper cutting, and Bell family wills all providing information about the Bell family tree. Includes: seven sheets annotated with names of Bell family in the Bell family tree; 19 photocopied pages of Joshua Thomas Bell’s administration of wills; and a newspaper cuting about the wreck of the Sovereign where Henry Dennis, manager of Jimbour died on his way to Sydney to marry Mary Isabella Bell, Thomas Bell’s daughter.

Papers relating to Sibyl Bell (Theodora Sybil Francis Needham) (1877-1945): Eulogy for Nigel Hugh St George Gore (1922-2008), 2008 [Sybil was the daughter of Grace Gore]; Correspondence, 2008; Letters to Sibyl Bell from her son Peter (Colin Basil Peter Bell (1902-1976)) and her daughter in law Hilda Bell (nee Walsh), 1936 to 1937.

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?

This file contains various documents relating to Joshua Thomas Bell, including:
• Program for Parliamentary dinner … to His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Dudley, by the Members of the Queensland Ministry, 19 Jul 1909
• Program for Smoke concert and presentation to the Hon. Joshua Thomas Bell, 19 Mar 1909,2 copies
• In memoriam card, 2 copies
• In Memoriam card for Sir Joshua Peter Bell, 1881
• Program for the Tour of his excellency the Governor to norther and western Queensland, 1908
• Copy of letter dated 8 Jul 1907 from H. Bracker from Moreheads Limited responding to The Hon. J. T. Bells enquiry about certain aboriginal words and their meaning, including the words: Euoggera, Buyuba, Murrumba, Ballanur, Buyulegun, and Mooroolbin.
• Evans, George Essex. The sword of pain, Toowoomba : Weston & Harrison, 1905, with inscription on first page ‘The Hon. J.T. Bell – with the authors compliments, Nov 14th 1905’ and signed Geo. Essex Evans at the end of poem.
• Photocopy of page from marriage register with has Colin Basil Peter Bell and Sibyl Needham marriage, 3 copies, [1898]

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.

QANTAS shares [bought by Colin Peter Basil Bell] documentation and receipts from QANTAS, 1929; Brochure ‘QANTAS : The investors Opportunity!’ ca. 1929; Letter to Frances Needham Bell regarding QANTAS, 2 Jun 1947.

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.