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Sir Joshua Thomas Bell Print Page Print this page

21-June-2014
21-June-2014

Photographs supplied by John Huth

An obelisk erected by the residents of the Dalby district commemorates Sir Joshua Thomas Bell who represented Dalby in the State Parliament uninterruptedly for 18 years. 

In 1893 Bell was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the electoral district of Dalby and held this seat for the rest of his life. Bell was elected Chairman of Committees in 1902 and in September 1903 joined the Arthur Morgan ministry as Minister for Lands.

William Kidston succeeded Morgan in January 1906 but Bell held his old position in the new cabinet until November 1907, and was also Minister for Railways from February to July of that year. Bell was Minister for Lands in the second Kidston Ministry from February to October 1908, and then Home Secretary until 29 June 1909, when he was elected Speaker.

His Excellency Sir William MacGregor, in the presence of a large assembly of residents of Dalby and of the surrounding district, as well as of a number of visitors from other parts of southern Queensland, including a special train load from Toowoomsba unveiled a monument to the late Hon. J. T. Bell, at Dalby, on Sunday afternoon. 

His Excellency referred to the conspicuous and honourable positions held both by the late Sir Joshua Peter Bell, and his distinguished son, the late Hon. J. T. Bell, in the public life of Queensland. Having the gentleman, in whose memory the obelisk had been erected, he (Sir William) expressed the hope that the son, who was one of thre witnesses of that ceremony, under the able guidance of his mother, would follow in the footsteps of his disltinguishid father and grandfather. 
Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld),  3 March 1914.

Location

Address:Cunningham Street, Dalby, 4405
State:QLD
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -27.179865
Long: 151.268528
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Government - State
Link: http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonl…

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 1st March, 1914
Front Inscription

The Honourable Joshua Thomas Bell, who died March 10, 1911
Aged 43 Years.

Following with love and reverence in the footsteps of his father, and entering early into public life, he represented Dalby for 18 years, 1893 - 1911, in the Parliament of Queensland ;

Was Minister for Lands 1903 ; Home Secretary 1908, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 1909 - 1911.

He ever displayed eloquence in speech and dignity in action, fidelity to friends, and all courtesy and kindness.

Honoured, lamented, beloved.

This monument is erected to his memory by many of his friends. 

Source: MA, ADB
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au