David Fell (9 March 1869 – 6 January 1956) was a Scottish-born Australian politician. He was born at

Langside Langside is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde, and lies east of Shawlands, south of Queens Park, west of Cathcart and north of Newlands. The district is residential and primarily middle-class, ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

to ship broker Captain John Wilson Fell and Jessie McKinlay Power. He was educated at

Dollar Academy Dollar Academy, founded in 1818 by John McNabb, is an independent co-educational day and boarding school in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil Hills. Overview As of 20 ...

and Graham's Academy in Scotland, and then at

Fort Street High School Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary day school, located in Petersh ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, where he arrived in 1879. He worked as an accountant after leaving school, establishing his own firm in 1893. In 1895 he married Mabel Bryce; they would have six children. He was a founding member of the Fellow of Corporation of Accountants of Australasia, and was director of

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first rece ...

from 1896 to 1900. His early political involvement included founding the City Reformists and Preferential League in 1895 and serving as honorary secretary to Sir James Graham in his early campaigns. In 1904 Fell was elected to the

New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament Ho ...

as the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

member for

Lane Cove Lane Cove is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lane Cove is nine kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governmen ...

. He never held a ministry and retired in 1913, but he was actively involved in the formation of the Nationalist Party in 1917. After the war, he opened an office in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and was thereafter primarily in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. On 24 July 1919 he married Alice Florence Elibank at

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

. He died at Hove in 1956. His brother,

William Scott Fell William Scott Fell (20 July 1866 – 7 September 1930) was an Australian shipping merchant and politician. Fell was born at Elleray Villa, Rosneath, Dunbartonshire, Scotland and educated at Dollar Academy and Graham's Academy, Greenock, Scotlan ...

, was also a member of the New South Wales Parliament. He was a cousin of John Fell.

References

1869 births 1956 deaths Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Scottish emigrants to Australia People educated at Dollar Academy Politicians from Glasgow People educated at Fort Street High School {{Australia-politician-stub