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Bell, Queensland

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Coordinates: 26°56′00″S 151°27′08″E / 26.9333°S 151.4522°E / -26.9333; 151.4522 (Bell (town centre))
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Bell
Queensland
Bell, seen from the air in 2010
Bell is located in Queensland
Bell
Bell
Coordinates26°56′00″S 151°27′08″E / 26.9333°S 151.4522°E / -26.9333; 151.4522 (Bell (town centre))
Population421 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density3.279/km2 (8.492/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4408
Area128.4 km2 (49.6 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Western Downs Region
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Localities around Bell:
Cooranga Cooranga Bunya Mountains
Jimbour East Bell Bunya Mountains
Kaimkillenbun Kaimkillenbun Moola

Bell is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Bell had a population of 421 people.[1]

Bell is in the western foothills of the Bunya Mountains, 39 kilometres (24 mi) north of Dalby.

Geography

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Bell is on the Bunya Highway and lies between the agricultural areas of the Darling Downs and the South Burnett with rolling hills of quilt-like patterned farmland. The area's main industry is farming of beef cattle, grain, sheep and pigs.[4]

There are a number of neighbourhoods in the locality:

Summer Hill (26°53′45″S 151°24′44″E / 26.8958°S 151.4122°E / -26.8958; 151.4122 (Summer Hill)) rises to 464 metres (1,522 ft) above sea level.[9][10]

History

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Sketch of Sir Joshua Peter Bell, 1881

Jarowair (also known as Yarowair, Yarow-wair, Barrunggam, Yarrowair, Yarowwair and Yarrow-weir) is one of the languages of the Toowoomba region. The Jarowair language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Toowoomba Regional Council, particularly Toowoomba north to Crows Nest and west to Oakey. Giabal is the Southern neighbour in Toowoomba City.[11]

The name Koondai-I is believed to be the Indigenous name for the area.[5]

The name Wonga may refer to the Wonga windmill.[8]

Originally the area around what is now known as Bell was known at Cattle Creek and was part of a large land holding called Jimbour Station. In the 1870s, the area was opened up for closer settlement and Angus & Christina McPhee from Scotland became the first European settlers nearest to what would become the village of Bell. Over time other families - including Bellingham, Bradley, Edwards, Ensor, McClelland Rush and Walker - settled in the vicinity of Cattle Creek and in 1878 a school was established at Maida Hill to cater for these families. The first use of "Bell" as a town name was in mid-1905 however it was still inter-changeable with Cattle Creek as a description of the general area.[citation needed]

In May 1906, the Bell Branch railway line was opened linking to the Western railway line at Dalby with the following (now-abandoned) stations within the locality:[12]

With the opening of the railway 1,600 acres (650 ha) was resumed for the township and surveyed into town allotments. The first land sales in Bell were in May 1906 with 93 town lots and 15 surburban lots available with a total of 77 lots sold in the first auction.[14][12] The village was named after Sir Joshua Peter Bell who, at that time, was owner of Jimbour Station.[2][3]

Maida Hill Post Office opened on 8 September 1877. It was renamed Bell by 1898, Malakoff in 1907 and closed in 1930. Bell Railway Station Post Office opened by December 1906 and was renamed Bell Post Office in 1907.[15]

Bell Provisional School opened on 4 November 1907 and the Bradley, McPhee and Shaw families feature strongly on the enrolments of 1907. On 1 January 1909, it became Bell State School.[16] The school celebrated its centenary in 2007.[17]

Bell Memorial Public Hall opened in 1917.[18]

The railway continued to operate until 1994.[citation needed]

Bell Library opened in 2013.[19]

Demographics

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In the 2016 census, the locality of Bell had a population of 502 people.[20]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Bell had a population of 421 people.[1]

Education

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Aerial photo of Bell State School, 2024

Bell State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 90 Dennis Street (26°56′23″S 151°27′10″E / 26.9397°S 151.4529°E / -26.9397; 151.4529 (Bell State School)).[21][22] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 88 students with 16 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).[23]

For education to Year 12, the nearest government school is Dalby State High School in Dalby to the south-west.[24]

Amenities

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The Bell Bunya Community Centre at 71 Maxwell Street houses the Bell Library, a branch of Western Downs Libraries.[25]

Bell Memorial Public Hall is at 69 Wallace Street (26°56′06″S 151°27′06″E / 26.9350°S 151.4518°E / -26.9350; 151.4518 (Bell Memorial Public Hall)).[18]

Fuel is available from the Bell Store. The main social gathering point in town is at the 'Bellvue' pub while at the Memorial Hall country dances and/or balls are hosted a number of times during each year.[citation needed] The old Freemasons Hall is now home to a cafe.[26]

Other facilities available in Bell include a caravan park, a country hotel (pub), a swimming complex, tennis courts, a lawn bowls club, a 9-hole golf course, horse racing track and police station.

Events

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Bell is known for its traditional country arts and crafts as well as rural-based activities such as horse race meetings, the rural show, rodeo and campdraft competitions.[27]

The local agricultural show, which celebrated its 50th consecutive year in 2008, is held annually on the first weekend in March. The show features wood chopping, displays of the area's livestock (including milking goats), and working cattle dog 'trials'.[28]

The Bell Races are a popular local event and held on the first Saturday in January every year.[29]

Attractions

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Barbed wire crucifix, in the Biblical Garden

The Railway Heritage Parkland, built on the site of the original railway terminus, features an early model diesel locomotive and a vintage passenger carriage as well as a historical mural painted on the shed wall. A number of Bell's early buildings were constructed from locally sourced sandstone - an example is a stone house which was built in 1913.[citation needed]

The Roman Catholic Church hosts a mural painted by local artists showing a history of Salvation.[citation needed]

The Bluebelles Art Gallery at the Bell Bunya Community Centre holds displays of local artists' works.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bell (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Bell – town in Western Downs Region (entry 2133)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Bell – locality in Western Downs Region (entry 49277)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Our Beautiful Region: Visitor Info". Bell Race Club. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Koondai-I – locality unbounded in Western Downs Regional (entry 18470)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Spring Flat – locality unbounded in Western Downs Regional (entry 31950)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Warmga – locality unbounded in Western Downs Regional (entry 36546)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Wonga – locality unbounded in Western Downs Regional (entry 37910)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Summer Hill – mountain in Western Downs Region (entry 32803)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  12. ^ a b "CATTLE CREEK RAILWAY". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LXII, no. 15, 094. Queensland, Australia. 29 May 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 5 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ a b c "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  14. ^ "CROWN LANDS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LXII, no. 15, 067. Queensland, Australia. 27 April 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 5 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Agency ID 4835, Bell State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Our school". Bell State School. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Community Halls". Western Downs Regional Council. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  20. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bell (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  21. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Bell State School". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  23. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Bell Library". plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Pips'n'Cherries". Southern Queensland Country. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Campdrafting". TriColby Photography. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Bell Show Society". The Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies Inc. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  29. ^ "Bell Races 2021 :: Bell Race Club". www.bellraces.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.

Further reading

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