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The New South Wales Polo Association is sad to advise the polo community of the sudden passing of Rob Bell of “Wandara” Breadalbane on 16 April, just after his 70th birthday.
Although suffering from Multiple Schlerosis in recent times, he was otherwise in good health and good spirits and his death was unexpected. In the last weeks he hosted visits by all of his family including his nine grandchildren from whom he derived so much pleasure. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, he maintained a full social calendar, in the last weeks travelling to Randwick to witness the running of the PJ Bell stakes in memory of his late father Jim Bell, to Warwick Farm for the sale of the Winx filly at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sales and to Garangula to watch the polo.
Rob Bell had a distinguished career in high goal polo and was for many years a member of the very successful Goulburn Polo team which won the Countess of Dudley Cup a record 14 times. He played in Hawaii, Canada, England and New Zealand but his first priority was always the Goulburn Polo Club for whom he played in the A team for nearly two decades.
Over the years, he represented Australia, playing with Richard Walker, Richard Maple-Brown and Glynn Lawry, he was a member of the team comprising Rob, Sinclair Hill, Ross McGilvray and Jim MacGinley which won the very first tournament on the Kooralbyn polo fields in 1977, and with Goulburn he played extensively around the east coast of Australia, but particularly on the Southern New South Wales Circuit.
Rob will be remembered as a gentleman, a fine polo player, a loyal friend, and above all a strong family man.
We extend our sympathies to his family, particularly to his children Sarah Cumani, Henry and Sinclair Bell and Liberty Chance, to their children, to Susie and to his siblings James Bell, Sally Archibald, Jenny Edwards and Diana Treloar.
He will be sadly missed.
We will advise funeral arrangements when details come to hand.
Peter White
President, New South Wales Polo Association
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