Bob Bell

Robert (Bob) Bell, grew up in the city but has been a very familiar face around Melbourne Royal. In the 1950s, when he was just a teenager, Bob started showing his pet dog.

I took it to a show where I got a first prize, first out of three, so that was pretty good.  That was where the bug seemed to have bitten me from then on and it snowballed from there … I was only sixteen or seventeen at the time, and I decided maybe I should buy another one and get a better one … that’s where it grew from there.

It was not long before Bob was showing dogs at the Melbourne Royal Show. Reflecting on the changes to the way people exhibit dogs today at the Show, Bob remarks:

Oh it’s quite different today. If you come to the Show today you see people coming in and they’ve got their dogs in a trolley and they’ve got all these bags set up on top. Back in my day … you just had a brush in one hand and a lead in the other hand and that was it. You did all your preparation at home before you went to the Show.

In 1972, after years of showing his dogs at the Melbourne Royal Show, Bob also started stewarding in the dog section and it wasn’t long before he became involved with the Kennel Control Committee (KCC). In 1995 he became an Melbourne Royal councillor, joining the Dog Committee. The Melbourne Royal Dog Show is the largest dog show in the southern hemisphere, making it a prestigious event. Bob admits: ‘I’ve known several dogs that once they’ve won that, they’ve just been retired … they want to go out on a high and they reckon that’s the greatest high to go out on.’

In recognition of his services to Melbourne Royal and commitment to the dog show, Bob was made an honorary life member.

I’m very proud of that one – that’s the badge of an honorary life member of the society. I suppose that’s also got to do with age a little bit too – it means that you’ve been around a while.