Bell, David A. (1816 - )

Bell had limited schooling at the parish school at Kingsbarn then in about 1831 was apprenticed to a solicitor at Anstruther without any wage. His years spent as a law clerk were unhappy before he emigrated to Australia in 1839. He landed in Adelaide and proceeded to New South Wales.

Bell took a position as superintendent of Captain Steel's station on the Macleay River, north of Port Macquarie, at a salary of £45 per annum. In 1841 he owned 10,240 acres on the Macleay River and from 1843 to 1858 he ran a horse stud and cattle. In 1847 he owned 32,000 acres at Towall Creek on the Macleay River in partnership with James Ducat and in 1851 they had 28,000 acres on the Styx River at Jeogla. Bell bought out Ducat in 1859 for £1,400.

From 1851 until 1875 he lived at Bergen-op-Zoom in the New England, where he owned 44,800 acres and ran cattle and produced wool. In June 1875 he moved to Rimbanda station where he lived until 1906.

[Brief Biography compiled by Robin Hammond, January/February 2004]