Bells Bridge is a rural

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Gympie Region The Gympie Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is between the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sunshine Coast and ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , Bells Bridge had a population of 226 people.

Geography

The

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Natio ...

passes through the locality from the east to the north-east, where it has a junction with the

Wide Bay Highway The Wide Bay Highway is a short state highway of Queensland, Australia running between Goomeri on the Burnett Highway and a junction on the Bruce Highway. From the junction it is 12 kilometres south to Gympie or 69 kilometres north to Maryboro ...

which passes through the location to the north-west. The Mary River flows through the locality from south-east to north-east, eventually flowing into the

Great Sandy Strait The Great Sandy Strait is a strait in the Australian state of Queensland of length which separates mainland Queensland from K'gari. It is also a locality in the Fraser Coast Region local government area. To the north of the strait is Hervey Bay ...

. Most of the locality is the Brooyar State Forest, except for the eastern and north-eastern parts which are farmland supporting cropping and grazing.

History

The locality presumably takes its name from the Bell's Bridge built at O'Leary's Crossing over the Mary River, which was opened by the Minister for Lands,

Joshua Thomas Bell Joshua Thomas Bell (13 March 1863 – 10 March 1911) was an Australian barrister and politician. Bell was the son of Sir Joshua Peter Bell, and his wife Margaret Miller, née Dorsey and was born in Ipswich, Queensland. Bell was educated at Br ...

, on Thursday 28 May 1908. The bridge was funded by the

Widgee Widgee is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Widgee had a population of 862 people. History The name is believed to have originated from the Aboriginal words ''Witchee Witchee'' meaning ''listen'' or ''hark' ...

and Kilkivan Shire Councils, the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

and other public donations. It was named after Bell for the support he had given them in obtaining the funding for the bridge. Bell's Bridge State School opened on 8 June 1926. It closed on 11 November 1932. Bells Bridge was a locality in the Shire of Cooloola prior to the 2008 amalgamation into the Gympie Region.

Demographics

In the , Bells Bridge had a population of 197 people. In the , Bells Bridge had a population of 226 people.

Education

There are no schools in Bells Bridge. The nearest government primary schools are Chatsworth State School in neighbouring Chatsworth to the east and Widgee State School in neighbouring

to the south-west. The nearest government secondary school is

James Nash State High School James Nash State High School is a coeducational public secondary school in Gympie, Queensland, established in 1977 and named after gold discoverer James Nash. The school serves over 1,200 students and maintains a focus on academic and extracurri ...

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. Located in the Greater Sunshine Coast, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River ( ...

to the south-east.

Geography

History

Demographics

Education

References

Further reading