BELL, ROBERT (1863-1937), a son of David Bell, was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and at the age of 20 emigrated to Queensland, where he was sub-manager of the Townsville Daily Bulletin (1883-86). Coming to New Zealand, he joined the Timaru Herald, and in 1900 bought the Ashburton Mail and the Guardian. He managed these papers till 1908, and in 1911 he transformed the business into a private company. He was managing director of the Lyttelton Times (1917-26) and chairman of the Timaru Post from 1922. In 1911 Bell attended the conference of the Empire Press Union in London, and he was a delegate to the Press Congress of the World at San Francisco in 1915. He was a chairman of the Ashburton Permanent Building and Investment Society and of the Ashburton Gas Co. and president of the Canterbury Society of Arts and a governor of the Ashburton High School. He endowed a scholarship in journalism at Canterbury University College. His marriage to Mary, daughter of Captain John McPeake, of Donaghadee, Ireland, took place in 1885. He died on 24 Aug 1937.

Who's Who N.Z., 1908; Evening Post and The Press, 26 Aug 1937.

Reference: Volume 1, page 48

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