Joshua Thomas Bell (13 March 1863 – 10 March 1911) was an Australian

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and politician. Bell was the son of Sir Joshua Peter Bell, and his wife Margaret Miller, née Dorsey and was born in

Ipswich, Queensland Ipswich () is an urban centre within the City of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated on the Bremer River (Queensland), Bremer River, it is approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of the Brisbane central business district. Ipswich is ...

. Bell was educated at

Brisbane Grammar School Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) is an Independent school, independent, fee charging, non-denominational, day school, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, Queensland, Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Austra ...

and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

. He was president of the

Cambridge Union The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the oldest ...

. Bell was admitted to the English bar and was a marshal on the Northern Assizes circuit in 1888. In 1889 Bell returned to Australia and a year later became private secretary to

Sir Samuel Griffith Sir Samuel Walker Griffith (21 June 1845 – 9 August 1920) was an Australian judge and politician who served as the inaugural Chief Justice of Australia, in office from 1903 to 1919. He also served a term as Chief Justice of Queensland and t ...

. In 1893 Bell was elected to the

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly ...

for the electoral district of Dalby in which his family home, Jimbour Homestead, was located. He was to hold 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 William Kidston (17 August 1849 – 25 October 1919) was an Australian bookseller, politician and Premier of Queensland, from January 1906 to November 1907 and again from February 1908 to February 1911. Early life William Kidston was born in F ...

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. In 1901, Bell unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generally ...

in Australia's first federal by-election, but he was defeated by Littleton Ernest Groom, the son of the original member. Bell died at Rakeevan, his Graceville residence on 10 March 1911 after a long illness. He had married in 1903 a daughter of John Ferguson, who survived him with a son and a daughter. Bell was accorded a state funeral which proceeded from St John's Anglican Cathedral to the

Toowong Cemetery Toowong Cemetery is a heritage-listed cemetery on the corner of Frederick Street and Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was established in 1866 and formally opened in 1875. It is Queensland, Queensland's lar ...

where he was buried next to his father.

References

Bibliography

* * D. B. Waterson,
Bell, Joshua Thomas (1863 - 1911)
, ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'', Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, p. 258. Retrieved 6 July 2009
Bell, Joshua Thomas
— Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search

External links

* Joshua Thomas Bell entry o
Jimbour History
Jimbour Homestead was the Bell family home for many years. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Joshua Thomas 1863 births 1911 deaths Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Burials at Toowong Cemetery Speakers of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Australian people of Irish descent Colony of Queensland people People educated at Brisbane Grammar School Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge