Bell Brothers (Western Australia)

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Bell Brothers
Industry Aggregates
Automotive
Civil engineering
Heavy heads
Mining engineering
Transport
Founded1937
FounderDavid, Robert & Alexander Bell
Headquarters
Guildford
Area served
 Western Australia
Subsidiaries Bell Basic Industries
Bell Freightlines
Western Transport

Bell Brothers was a diversified company with interests in the aggregates, automotive, civil engineering, heavy heads, mining engineering and transport industries. Primarily based in Western Australia, it also had smaller interests in other states of Australia.

History

Bell Brothers was formed in 1937 by brothers David, Robert and Alexander Bell. A mechanical shovel was purchased moving slag and sand for the Perth City Council. During World War II it built airfields at Broome, Derby, Pearce and Port Hedland. [1]

It went on to become one of the largest transport companies in the state. [2] [3] In 1946 it commenced mining coal in Collie. [4] As well as operating trucks that moved goods to and from ships docking at Fremantle, by 1950 it had commenced hauling manganese to Meekatharra and iron ore from Koolyanobbing to Southern Express for onward movement by rail services. [5] [6] [7] [8]

A 64-acre headquarters was established in Guildford in 1952. [9] In 1954 it became a distributor for ERF and Mack Trucks. [8] In the late 1950s it was responsible for the construction of RAAF Base Learmonth briefly operating an Avro Anson aeroplane. [10]

On 9 September 1965 Bell Brothers was listed on the Sydney, Melbourne and Perth stock exchanges. [11] [12] In July 1969, it diversified into aggregates purchasing Swan Quarries which became Bell Basic Industries. [13] [14] [15] In 1972 Western Transport of Queensland was purchased followed by the Queensland Tyre Re-treading Co. [16] [17] In 1973 Bell Brothers was acquired by Robert Holmes à Court's Albany Woollen Mills, becoming part the Bell Group in July 1976. [18] [19] [20] [21]

After the Bell Group was taken over by Bond Corporation and the State Government Insurance Office, Bell Brothers was sold to Boral in 1988. [22] [23] [24] In May 1991 the transport business was sold by Boral to Heytesbury Pty Ltd, the family company of Holmes à Court's widow Janet. [25]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Bells of Guildford Swan Express 18 June 1953 page 2
  2. ↑ David Bell Australian Directory of Biography
  3. ↑ New Road Sunday Times 13 June 1954 page 7
  4. ↑ More Collie Coal Daily News 23 March 1946 page 3
  5. ↑ Ships Idle at Fremantle Through Truck Dispute The West Australian 6 September 1950 page 5
  6. ↑ Manganese Ore The West Australian 11 March 1950 page 13
  7. ↑ New Manganese Find Kalgoorlie Miner 8 May 1950 page 1
  8. 1 2 From Horses and Drays to Huge Earth-Movers Sunday Times 21 March 1954 page 7
  9. ↑ Bell Bros New Headquarters Swan Express 19 June 1952 page 3
  10. ↑ The End of Avro Anson I VH-BXC Airways Museum & Civil Aviation Society
  11. ↑ Bell Bros float will be listed on three exchanges Canberra Times 9 July 1965 page 20
  12. ↑ Bell Bros turnover rises Canberra Times 8 September 1965 page 22
  13. ↑ Swan Quarries Limited Delisted Australia
  14. ↑ Bell Bros Canberra Times 10 June 1969 page 18
  15. ↑ Orange Grove Quarry - Crushing and Screening Planning Upgrade Archived 26 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Boral 9 April 2015
  16. ↑ A brief history of Western Transport Western Transport Museum
  17. ↑ Bell to buy tyre business Canberra Times 10 August 1973 page 11
  18. ↑ $11.6m bid for Bell Canberra Times 30 October 1973 page 13
  19. ↑ Australia's Acquisitive Recluse Robert Holmes à Court spends a lot of time in his Perth study, pondering computer chess moves and takeover strategy Fortune Magazine 19 August 1985
  20. ↑ Murdoch Challenged on Takeover: Holmes a Court makes Counter offer for Australian Papers Los Angeles Times 25 December 1986
  21. ↑ Bell Bros Holdings Limited Delisted Australia
  22. ↑ Business and investment Canberra Times 5 January 1989 page 5
  23. ↑ 1980 - 1989 Boral
  24. ↑ Boral 2016 Review Boral 16 September 2016
  25. ↑ Heytesbury buys back Bell Freightlines Canberra Times 6 May 1991 page 5

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