Bell Brothers (Western Australia)

Bell Brothers

Company type	Public (from 1965)
Industry	Aggregate, vehicle, civil engineering, heavy equipment, mining engineering, transportation
Founded	1937
Founder	David Bell, Robert Bell, Alexander Bell
Headquarters	Guildford , Australia
Area served	Western Australia and other Australian states
Products	Transport services, aggregates, mining operations
Parent	Bell Group (from 1976), later Boral (from 1988)

Bell Brothers operated as a multifaceted enterprise with activities spanning the aggregate, vehicle, civil engineering, heavy equipment, mining engineering, and transportation industries. While its main base was in Western Australia, it maintained smaller branches in various other Australian states.

History

Established in 1937 by siblings David, Robert, and Alexander Bell, Bell Brothers initially focused on mechanical shovel operations for moving slag and sand on behalf of the Perth City Council. During World War II, the company was involved in building airfields at locations including Broome, Derby, Pearce, and Port Hedland.

Over time, the firm expanded to become one of the largest transport companies within Western Australia. Its coal mining operations began in 1946 in Collie. By 1950, Bell Brothers was responsible for transporting manganese to Meekatharra and moving iron ore from Koolyanobbing to Southern Cross for rail distribution. The company also managed trucking services catering to Fremantle Harbour.

In 1952, Bell Brothers established a 64-acre corporate headquarters in Guildford. Two years later, in 1954, it secured dealership rights for both ERF and Mack Trucks. During the late 1950s, the company undertook the construction of RAAF Base Learmonth and briefly operated an Avro Anson aircraft.

Bell Brothers became publicly listed on the Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth stock exchanges on 9 September 1965. In July 1969, it diversified into the aggregates sector through acquiring Swan Quarries, which was rebranded as Bell Basic Industries. The early 1970s marked further expansion with purchases of Queensland-based firms including Western Transport and the Queensland Tyre Re-treading Co.

In 1973, Robert Holmes à Court's Albany Woollen Mills acquired Bell Brothers, integrating it into the Bell Group by 1976. After the Bell Group was taken over by Bond Corporation and the State Government Insurance Office, Bell Brothers was sold to Boral in 1988. Subsequently, in May 1991, Boral divested its transport division to Heytesbury Pty Ltd, the family-owned business of Janet Holmes à Court, widow of Robert Holmes à Court.