Where did MGI South Queensland come from and how we got to where we are today?

As recalled by Noel Waters (previous partner)…..In 1919, Stanley McKellar White, Deputy Commissioner of Taxation in South Queensland, resigned and entered into private practice as a Public Accountant and Taxation Consultant.

In 1922, Robert Charles Hancock, former Chief Clerk in the Taxation Office in South Queensland and later Deputy Commissioner in Central Office, resigned and joined McKellar White in his practice as a partner and the firm of White and Hancock was born on 27 March 1922.

These two gentleman had a specialized knowledge of the legislation introduced at the time of the 1914 - 1918 World War imposing what was known as the "wartime profits' tax which apparently was particularly worrisome to farmers and graziers, and proceeded to use this expertise to advise prospective clients on tours undertaken into country districts, building up a large clientele of country clients which formed the backbone of the practice throughout the years ahead.

About 1923, Joseph Harvey Buckle joined the firm from the Queensland Land Tax Office and became a partner on 31 October 1924. He retired on 31 March 1967. At some stage, Harvey Buckle's brother Tom also worked in the practice but later joined Queensland Can Co. Ltd. (later called United Packages Ltd.) where he became C.E.O.

On one of many trips into the Burnett District, whilst visiting the Briggs family, the partners met a young relative named Archibald Heaton Blackman who was eventually invited to work in the practice and later became a partner on 1 July 1938. He subsequently opened a Branch Office of the firm in Wondai but this was closed again after a short period of years. After military service, Heaton Blackman continued as a partner until 1 April 1976 when he retired.

Norman C. Beeston was also a partner in the pre-war years, also admitted on 1 July 1938. He left the firm on 26 July 1948.

Another partner at this time was Kenneth M. Shaw whose career was also interrupted by military service but who remained with the firm as a partner from 1 July 1938 until 28 march 1952 when he opened his own practice and became renowned as a Taxation Consultant.

Mervyn Alwyn Collom, who, with Harvey Buckle and Bob Hancock had held the fort during the war years, was admitted as a partner after the war in April 1948 and was Senior Partner on his retirement through ill health on 30 June 1978.

Another partner who later established his own practice was Richard Finlay Robertson who became a partner on 1 April 1953 and left on 31 August 1970.

Next admission to partnership was Noel Robert Waters on 1 April 1955 who retired as Senior Partner on 30 June 1989.

A Gold Coast branch office was opened in Southport on 5 March 1956 and was serviced by partners visiting from South Queensland but this was not satisfactory and, on 29 May 1956, senior staff member, John Edward Cressey was appointed resident Manager and admitted to partnership. The partnership acquired its own premises in Scarborough Street. The branch expanded rapidly and, in July 1963, a further Gold Coast Office was opened in Surfers Paradise and James J. Callaghan was recruited to the Gold Coast staff and was admitted as a partner on 1 October 1966. On 31 August 1970, arising from a restructuring of the partnership, the Gold Coast practice was sold to John Cressey and Jim Callaghan who continued under the name of Cressey Callaghan and Associates.

In the meantime, on 1 April 1964 Lawrence J. Litzow was admitted to partnership and remained until 31 August 1970 when he joined another firm.

Following the restructuring, on 1 September 1970 Bruno Enrico Doller was invited to join the partnership and retired as Senior Partner on 30 June 1993, but continued practicing as an investment adviser.

Next to be admitted to the firm was Earl Howard Larmar on 1 April 1975, who was with the firm until 31 October 1989 when he left to practice on his own. Likewise, Ian Melville West became a partner on 1 April 1978 and resigned on 30 September 1981 to practice in his own name. Another who was in the firm briefly was Roger Walker who joined on 1 July 1984 and departed on 30 June 1985.

The partners on the firm's 75th anniversary included Jeffrey Reginald Redshaw, admitted 1 July 1982, Craig McCheyne Douglas, admitted on 1 July 1985, Anthony Kenneth Smith, admitted on 1 July 1990 and Grant Royston Field, admitted on 31 March 1992.

The trend to merge with other practices or takeover by national or international firms usually resulting in loss of identity of the original practice was always resisted, the partners preferring to enter into national and international groups whereby the autonomy of the practice was retained. The names used by the groups of independent firms were nationally, C.W. Stirling and Co., Berg White, and currently MGI. The firm has also had a longstanding international association known originally as Midsnell (a contraction of the name of the English firm of Midgley Snelling and Co.) and more recently changed to MGI.

As to premises, the practice was conducted initially in Dalgety's Building in Elizabeth Street South Queensland, but soon after the firm moved to Parbury House in Eagle Street. The next move was to the Royal Exchange Building, also in Eagle Street, but in 1935 the practice was re-located to the ANZ Bank Chambers on the corner of Queen and Creek Streets where it remained until 28th February 1971, firstly on the 3rd floor and finally on the 1st floor, until the imminent demolition of the building necessitated a shift. After considering all of the options, the firm decided that it would remain located in the Central Business District and entered into a lease of a substantial part of the 12th Floor of the T. and G. Building at the corner of Queen and Albert Streets, temporarily vacating at the end of January 1974 as a result of the disastrous floods which, although not coming far enough up Albert and Queen Streets to reach the building, effectively put all of the buildings services out of action for many weeks.

In October 1980, the opportunity to acquire the freehold of the Mines Administration Building at 25/33 Charlotte Street presented itself and the practice was moved to this address in January 1981, the building being renamed "Unity House". In January 1991, due to the perceived need for more modern premises, the move was made to the 20th Floor of Central Plaza II on the corner of Elizabeth and Creek Streets, diagonally opposite where the practice commenced 75 years ago. In May 2007 it we decided to relocate into a fully refurbished floor on Level 1, 200 Mary St Cromwell Building.

History in the making

In October 2004, Jeffrey Redshaw left the firm to establish his own practice.

Justine Nicole Best was invited to join the partnership on 3 April 2006.

On 1 July 2006, MGI White Hancock merged with chartered accounting practice, Alexander Partners. This saw the addition of two partners, Alexander Duncan Fraser and Michael Angelo Georghiou.

In April 2008 we re-branded as MGI South Queensland. This was a re-branding exercise with the other MGI associated firms in Australasia.

On 1 August 2008, Cameron Barber joined the partnership.