Boondooma Station – Historical Background, typescript 7 pages, undated

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.

Handwritten report [from Colin Basil Peter Bell, chairman of the Longreach council] to council including a valuation, ca. 1920. Notes on meeting held by Councillor W. Peters at Usher’s Corner, Eagle St, Longreach, 3 Dec, 1920.

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.

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.

One typescript page and seven handwritten pages, of various sizes, with lists of Aboriginal Australian words. Three pages with pen handwritting have a note across the first page saying they were given to Joshua Thomas Bell at Jimbour on 2 Mar 1897 and appear to be from the envelope with the notes 'Aboriginal Vocabulary, supplied at jimbour, 2nd March 1897, by 'old Combo, Darlo, and Nipper. JTB'. Some pages are written in pencil and there is one page of typescript. There is a handwritten note inserted in this file (with the date 17 Jun 2010 printed at the bottom) that says Darlo spoke Yarrawa [sic] dialect, the dialect ... Jimbour to Dalby'; Old Combo came from Big River, New South Wales and spoke the Hamilario [?] N.S.W. dialect [possibly Gamilaroi ?]

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

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.

Scrapbook with ‘Margot Bell’ [Margot Margaret Maxwell Bell, 1908-1929] written inside, containing newspaper cuttings, handwritten notes, correspondence, and photographs, 1908 to 1984. Most likely begun by Catherine Bell and continued by another person in the Bell family. Photographs, 75 b&w, include: Catherine Bell, Joshua Thomas Bell, Joshua Peter Ferguson Bell, Margot Margaret Maxwell Bell, Peter and C.B.P.B. (Colin Basil Peter Bell), Jinny, 'Arrival at Quarantine camp Wallangarra 2 May 1919', Ella, Margo, Enid, Kit (Kitty), 'Hailstorm, Rakeevan', 'Vincent Fairfax & Margot', and Coochin.

This file has a material relating to Thomas and Sarah Bell (nee Alexander) and some of their descendants.