Series 1: Station diaries (1884-1978)
James T M Bell (1839-1903) purchased Camboon Station in partnership with Colville Hyde, in 1874. Located on the banks of the Dawson River, by 1888 the consolidated lease covered over 525 square miles.
In 1882 Bell and Hyde purchased the 22,000 acre freehold Coochin Coochin Station, as a fattening paddock for Camboon; from 1882-1887 Wiliam Price managed the property, followed by Frederick Rowbotham until 1902.
After the death of his father and in the wake of the 1902 drought, Francis Marsh Bell (1883-1961) took over management of the station assisted by Murray Jardine and Walter Winthrop until 1921. At its height Camboon ran 20,000 head of cattle, at first Shorthorn then Herefords which were more suited to the climate. Camboon was also known for its Clydesdale draught horses.
Four generations of the Walsh family worked for the Bell family. William Walsh who started in 1879 lived and worked on Camboon for sixty-four years. The main drovers were Jack Johnson and James Ryan, and the station employed many people of Asian and Aboriginal heritage as station hands.
This series consists of 61 diaries, the earliest dated 1884, followed by 1904-1914, then 1926-1927, 1930, 1935-1978.
The diaries record daily activities on the property, rainfall received, mustering, stock sales, visitors and social activites.
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Series 2: Letterbooks (1874-1911)
Three letterbooks containing copies of correspondence written by James T M Bell and others from Camboon and Coochin Coochin Stations. The books are very fragile.
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Items in this series:
Letterbook (1874-1903)
Letterbook containing copies of correespondence by or on behalf of James Bell & Colville Hyde, of Camboon & Coochin Coochin Stations. The item is very fragile.
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Letterbook (1903-1905)
Letterbook containing copies of correespondence by or on behalf of the Bell family, of Camboon & Coochin Coochin Stations. The item is very fragile.
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Letterbook (1905-1911)
Letterbook containing copies of correespondence by or on behalf of the Bell family, of Camboon & Coochin Coochin Stations. The item is very fragile.
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Series 3: Station ledgers (1872-1967)
Station ledgers which record much of the financial activities of Umbercollie, Walloon, Wandabell, Camboon and Coochin Coochin Stations from 1872 to 1967. They also identify employees of Chinese and Aboriginal heritage associated with the stations.
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Items in this series:
Station ledger (1872-1873)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Umbercollie Station and includes monies spent on wages, rations and stories. It includes several loose items of correspondence & sketch maps relating to the selection & resumption of land on the Coochin Coochin estate.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including King Jackey [page 29], Tommy, Billey.
Description
Station ledger (1875-1878)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Bell family estates including Calandoon and Minima Stations from 1875 to 1878.
This ledger also identifies employees of Asian and Aboriginal heritage including: Tommy, Sandy; Ah Yow, Sam Quee and others.
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Station ledger (1874-1876)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon and Walloon Stations form 1874 to 1876.
This ledger also lists contracted and casual employees, including those of Aboriginal heritage.
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Station ledger (1901-1904)
Station ledger for Wandabell and Camboon Stations, which principally records petty cash expenses and stock sales.
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Station ledger (1903-1913)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1903 through to 1913.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: Alfred Nipps (page 181)
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Station ledger (1914-1917)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1914-1917.
This ledger also identifies employees of Asian and Aboriginal heritage including: Ah Sing (page 204), Arthur Horn (page 311), David Coocher (Mate Mate) (page 282); Ranji Logan (page 297, 309), Banjo (page 298, 310).
Description
Station ledger (1917-1929)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1917 through to 1929.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: Banjo Bond and wife, Bunda, W & G Coutchy, W Jones, Sammy, Percy Saltner, Fred Dodds, Jim Williams and others.
Description
Station ledger (1929-1936)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1929 through to 1936.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: E Banjo, Percy Saltner, F Dodds, W Jones and others.
Description
Station ledger (1936-1939)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1936 through to 1939.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: members of the Dodd and Law families.
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Station ledger (1950-1956)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1950 through to 1956.
This ledger identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including many members of the Dodd family, William Ivory, and Eric Bond.
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Station ledger (1957-1958)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1957 - 1958.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: members of the Dodd and Bond families, William Ivory and others.
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Station ledger (1958-1961)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1958 through to 1961.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: members of the Ivory and Saltner families.
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Station ledger (1962-1967)
Station ledger which records much of the financial activities of Camboon for the years 1962 through to 1967.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including:members of the Dodd and Saltner families.
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Series 4: Day books (1883-1935)
Day books which record daily activities such as stock movement across station paddocks, dipping, and other related activities, the earliest from 1883 by Bell & Hyde, through to 1935 by the Bell Brothers. Not all years are represented.
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Items in this series:
Day book (1883-1894)
Camboon Station Day book for the years 1883 through to 1894 recording stock movement, use of paddocks, dipping, mustering, and other related activities, by Bell and Hyde.
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Day book (1916-1917)
Camboon Station Day book for the years 1916 to 1917 recording stock movement, use of paddocks, dipping, mustering, and other related activities.
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Day book (1924-1935)
Camboon Station Day book for the years 1924 through to 1935 recording stock movement, dipping, mustering, and other related activities.
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Day book (1922-1930)
Day book recording for the years 1922 to 1930 stock movement, and other related activities. The entries are scant.
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Series 5: Cash books (1898-1969)
Cash ledgers which record basic financial activities for Coochin Estates, and Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1898 through to 1969.
They also identify several employees of Aboriginal heritage (See Item 81, 1898-1916)
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Items in this series:
Cash book (1898-1916)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for the years 1898 through to 1916.
This ledger also identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage, including J & A Nipps, and others.
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Cash book (1898-1916)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for the years 1898 through to 1916.
[This is not a duplicate of Item 81]
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Cash book (1916-1917)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for the years 1916 and 1917.
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Cash book (1917-1920)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for the years 1917 to 1920.
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Cash book (1929-1932)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for the years 1929 to 1932.
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Cash book (1937-1942)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1937 to 1942.
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Cash book (1964-1969)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1964 to 1969.
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Cash book (1930)
Cash ledger which records basic financial activities for Coochin Estates for 1930.
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Series 6: Wages ledgers (1921-1932)
Ledgers recording wages and insurance returns for employees of the Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1921 to 1932.
They also identify employees of Aboriginal heritage including members of the Dodd and Law families, and Banjo Bond. (See Item 90)
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Items in this series:
Wages insurance ledger (1923-1926)
Ledger recording wages and insurance returns for employees of the Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1923 to 1926.
This ledger identifies employees of Aboriginal heritage including: members of the Dodd and Law families, and Banjo Bond.
Description
Wages & returns ledger (1921-1932)
Ledger recording wages and ireturns for employees of the Camboon Pastoral Company for the years 1921 through to 1932.
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Series 7: Stock ledgers (1892-1948)
Ledgers for Camboon Station and Camboon Pastoral Company which record stock purchases: the number of cattle, horses; Clydesdale pedigrees and sales, brandings, muster counts and other related expenses for the years 1892 through to 1948.
To date still the largest privately owned cattle property in the Banana Shire, Camboon Station covers over 34,500 hectares. In the 1890s their herd was reportedly the best in the country, and they were the first in the region to change over from Shorthorns to Herefords, breeding bulls suitable not only for their own use, but to meet the demand in the area.
Camboon was also noted for its horses, particularly its Clydesdale draughts, which at the time were the farmers work-horse, used for hauling and draughting, and now known as the 'horse that built the nation'.
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Items in this series:
Stock book (1906-1917)
Ledger for the Camboon Pastoral Estate, recording activities such as branding, muster counts, and sales of horses and cattle.
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Sales ledger (1913-1921)
Ledger for Camboon Station and Camboon Pastoral Company which records stock sales for their cattle and horses for the years 1913 through to 1921.
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Stock & muster book (1892-1915)
Camboon Station stock and muster ledger, recording purchases, cattle and horses, Clydesdale pedigrees & sales, brandings, and muster counts for the years 1892 through to 1915.
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Stock book (1912-1948)
Camboon Station stock ledger recording activities such as branding, muster counts, sales, horses, cattle for the years 1912 through to 1948.
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Stock & muster book (1917-1921)
Camboon Station ledger recording mustering camps, stock counts and other related activities for the years 1917 to 1921.
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Stock book (1917-1945)
Camboon Station ledger recording activities such as branding and mustering camps for the years 1917 to 1945.
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Stock book (1936-1937)
Stock ledger for Camboon Station, and the Camboon Pastoral Company recording notes on cattle, muster counts and camps for the years 1936-1937. [Recorded in 1929 printed diary]
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Stock book (1905-1945)
Camboon Station ledger recording notes on horses: a brief physical description, their pedigree, and details of sales including price and buyer.
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Stock book (1905-1944)
Camboon Station ledger recording notes on horses & cattle, sales, descriptions, brands and pedigrees for the years 1905 to 1944.
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Stock book (1915-1934)
Camboon Station ledger recording notes on stock, branding etc. for they years 1915 to 1945.
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Stock book (1940-1949)
Camboon Station ledger recording notes on horse draughts, counts of fillies, mares, foals, geldings etc. for the years 1940 to 1949.
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Series 8: Note books (1939-1951)
Pocket notebooks with dated entries recording activities at Camboon Station including stock mustered, drafted, branded & dipped for the years 1939 through to 1951.
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Items in this series:
Notebook (1939)
Pocket notebook principally recording stock counts for Camboon Station for 1939.
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Note book (1940)
Pocket notebook principally recording stock counts for Camboon Station for 1940.
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Notebook (1944)
Notebook or diary with dated entries recording activities at Camboon Station including stock mustered, drafted, branded & dipped.
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Note book (1951)
Pocket notebook principally recording stock movements for Camboon Station for 1951.
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Series 9: Rainfall observations (1933-1973)
[Item 111]
Camboon Station rainfall observations
- Report of monthly and yearly rainfall, 1870-1973;
- Rain map for March 1963, South East Queensland
- Notes for cyclone emergencies
- Booklet "Australian Rainfall Observer's Handbook', 1954, 35 p.
- Instructions for taking rainfall observations
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Series 10: Publications (1901-1933)
Printed material retained by members of the Bell family relating to the operation of Camboon Station.
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Items in this series:
Land Act of 1901
Bound copy of the Land Act of 1910 (Queensland) annotated 'Camboon'.
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Sale book (1928)
Printed exhibition catalogue for cattle sales, held at the Royal Agricultural Society, NSW in 1928.
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Report, Queensland Beef Cattle Industry (1928)
Copy of printed report by the Beef Cattle Industry Commission, which also contains several loose pages of notes, presumably made by Ernest Thomas Bell, written on 'Parliament House, Brisbane' stationery.
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Report, Land Administration Board (1933)
Copy of printed report and recommendations regarding the Dawson Valley Irrigation Settlement as delivered by the Land Adminstration Board, 1933.
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Cattle tick in Australia (Undated)
Booklet produced by Geigy on tick research in Australia.
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Series 11: Papers, correspondence (1920-1972)
Correspondence, letters, invoices, statements of account, newspaper clippings relating to the Bell Family and Camboon Station for the years 1920 through to 1970.
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Items in this series:
Ernest Bell, papers (1920-1951)
Papers relating to Camboon Station, the late Ernest Thomas Bell; estate valuation; newspaper clippings and other related correspondence.
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Invoices (1931-1934)
Statements of account from J.T.N. Bell in favour of W.D. White & Sons (William Duckett White).
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Ernest Bell, papers (1929-1930)
Correspondence and notes relating to Ernest Thomas Bell, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, who died in May 1930. In particular relating to his interests in the "Boonah Oil Prospecting Company".
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Camboon Station, correspondence (1946-1970)
Folder of letters written to and from Camboon Station by various members of the Bell family. between 1946 and 1970.
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Camboon Station, correspondence (1961-1972)
Folder of letters written to and from Camboon Station, as well as newspaper clippings. Several letters relate to the Daly River Cattle Station; Clive Ogilvy, Mimosa Farm, Burradoo; J.T.N. Bell (Bill), Camboon; the consititution of the Monto Race Club.