CHAPTER NINE
A NATIONAL FIRM BY THE END OF THE 1980’S
A broad review of the 1980’s reveals similarities to the 1960’s in that during the decade a number of senior partners retired, a new managing partner had been elected and the personnel on the Executive Committee had changed. In fact, all the seven partners who constituted the Executive Committee in January, 1980 had retired by December 1989. On the other hand, the review also reveals substantial differences in the two decades, the most marked being that while the 1960’s was a period of great expansion in Western Australia the expansion in the 1980’s was largely concentrated outside WA During these years practices were acquired in NSW, ACT and SA and in December 1989 the Melbourne practice of Bird Cameron with its interests in suburban and country practices merged with the firm. These acquisitions together with the growth generated within all the Eastern States practices meant that by the end of the 1980’s only 75% of the gross fees were earned in WA compared with 95% ten years earlier and this trend continued into the 1990’s. The withdrawal of resident accountants from the smaller country towns in WA which commenced in the 1970’s continued at the same rate in the 1980’s. Representatives were withdrawn from eighteen country centres in the years 1970 to 1979 and there were a further seventeen withdrawals from 1980 to 1989. In 1980 the movement to abolish death and gift duties which started to sweep Australia a few years earlier came to WA and on the 1st January State Probate Duty was abolished and as indicated earlier, this forced big changes on the Estate Planning Division. A major move in the Eastern States expansion programme in 1981 was the acquisition of the practice of L.J. Genner & Associates of Parramatta. Geoff Sherwin moved from WA to become partner-in-
charge and Brian Palesy transferred over from the Genner practice. That acquisition marked the beginning of a period when the firm actively sought out suitable practices to purchase and in each of the next five years at least one major initiative was taken to expand the Eastern States connection and advance the emerging national character of the firm. In 1982 the firm celebrated its Diamond Jubilee at a very successful Annual Conference in Singapore from 19th to 21st June. On the 1st July that year no less than five significant events occurred.
• • • • •
Six persons were admitted to the partnership. A second PDP 11/70 computer was acquired. A group of clients was purchased at Millicent, SA. The firm changed its name from “C.P. Bird & Associates” to “Birds”. A logo and corporate image designed by Rick Lambert were adopted.
The next year, 1983, saw three more partnership admissions, the purchase of another practice at Parramatta and the opening of an office in Fremantle with Bob Bright appointed accountant-in-charge. It was with great regret that the members of the firm learned of the passing of Sir Cyril Bird on 19th March, 1984. The practice purchases continued with the acquisition on the 1st June, 1984 of the separate practices of Oliver and Clark in Canberra. Garry Lee transferred from WA to assume control of the Canberra operation. A month later, on the 1st July, there were three more admissions to the partnership. 100 years of successful connections 75
