ADVENTUROUS LIFE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 808, 31 October 1929, Page 9

ADVENTUROUS LIFE

THOMAS BELL. OF SUNDAY ISLAND DEATH AT PAHIATUA Few men have led such adventurous lives as Air. Thomas Bell, who .died in the Fahiatua Hospital on Tuesday night at the ago oi 90 years Even before ho became involved in litigation with The New Zealand 4. > vernmem for possession of Sunday Island he had been engaged in m»tn* » - ous occupations and had travelled through almost wory part of New Zealand and the South Sea Islands, The late Mr. Bell, who was born at Leeds. England, was the only son Air. Homy Bell, founder of the Napier Hospital. He arrived in New Zealand from Ballarat, having reached Australia at the age otf 16 on a merchantman. In the Dominion. Mr. Bell first of all went oil to a sheep station in Otago. He left this to join in the gold rush to Gabriel’s Gully. Later he went to Napier, where he married. * filled with the spirit of adventure, Mr. Bell next turned his attention to a flax mill which he started at Nub aka (Hawke’s Bay). Four years later he went to Poverty Bay and bought 1,500 acres of land. His next venture was conducting a general store in the Bay of Plenty, which he sold later and again went farming near Whakatanc. • ISLAND OF 5,000 ACRES With a family of four Air. and Mrs. Bell left for Tonga, but the climate proved unsuitable and they journeyed on to Samoa. In 1879 the family decided to go to Sunday Island, in the Kermadec Group. Here they stayed for 10 years, the only people on this island of 5,000 acres. About ISB9 the British Government annexed Sunday Island, but the Kells knew nothing of it until the New Zealand Government sent down th“ ship Stella to annex the island formally. The Government granted Mr. Bell 274 acres of land—the remainder was subdivided and leased. This was insufficient to maintain a large family of 10 and so some of the children decided to leave. Mr. Bell remained on the island for some years, combating his claim with the Government for the freehold of the whole island. However, the Government refused to recognise the claim and on July 4. 1914. Air. Bell and the rest of his family decided to leave the island ami settle in New Zealand. For some years Mr. Bell has lived with his daughter at Pahiatua. Ho is survived by his widow, aged 82. who lives in Auckland, and a family of eight children: Mrs. G. Gelderd (Pahiatua), Mrs. IT. V. Dyke (Mauku. Pukekohe), Mr. Thomas BeH (Rangiriri. Auckland). Mr. John White Tewaru Bell (Glenmurray. Waikato), Mr. Raoul Sunday Bell (Norfolk Island). Mr. William Bell (Both well Estate. Waikato), Miss Freda Bell (IjOs Angc]cs>. and Mrs. Charlie Ed ring ton I (Vancouver). Two children died ; some time ago, Mrs. Cranch (Sydney) jand Mr. Henry John Kereru Bell, who tvas reported killed by blacks in the Gulf of Carpentaria when rescuing w\Yite women captured after the wa?ck of the Douglas Mawson.