After Stephen Lambourne completed his HSC, he gained a traineeship with JM Quain & Co, a small accounting practice in the T & G Building in Hunter Street. In 1981 he moved to The Junction to join Tim Wardle and after completing his professional year he became a partner on 10 September 1984, and Lambourne Partners as we know it was born. They originally operated out of first floor offices on the corner of Union Street and Kenrick Street above what used to be a butcher shop on the northern corner. After outgrowing the space, they moved to offices at 68 Glebe Road The Junction on the 1st floor above the hot bread shop that existed at the time. Forty years later, Stephen is still providing advice to a wide range of clients, with many of these being clients since 1984.

As Lambourne Partners celebrated its first year in business, Australia introduces the Capital Gains Tax (CGT), marking a major shift in our financial and taxation landscape and the first (but not the last!) significant tax change to be navigated by Lambourne Partners. This reform aimed to create a fairer tax system, influencing investment strategies across the nation. From the very beginning, Lambourne Partners has been there to guide our clients through such significant changes. Ever since, we have been dedicated to helping our clients navigate and thrive in this evolving landscape.

Stephen’s good friend from University, Scott Lucas, came to work at Wardle & Lambourne in 1986 after completing his professional year with the Institute of Chartered Accountants. After two years of spectacular growth and an expanding number of staff and clients, this appointment provided the leadership we needed. Scott’s training and expertise made him a logical addition to our practice as a Partner.

Lambourne Partners had been in operation for just a few years when the 1987 Stock Market Crash, known as Black Monday, shook the financial world. Despite the market turmoil, our firm remained steadfast, providing critical advice and support to our clients, helping them navigate through one of the most significant financial crises of the 20th century. This event underscored the importance of having a robust financial strategy and solidified our commitment to guiding our clients through both prosperous and challenging times.

As Lambourne Partners celebrates its 4th year, the mighty Newcastle Knights enter the NRL, playing their first game in front of over 26,000 fans at the Newcastle International Sports Centre against Parramatta. Rob Tew, a long-term business associate of Lambourne Partners in the local property sector, just happens to score the Knights only points in their 28-4 loss to the Eels, with two penalty goals. Newcastle Knights and Lambourne Partners, two long term and valuable members of the Newcastle and Hunter community.

1989 saw the city of Newcastle and surrounds experience a catastrophic event being the Newcastle earthquake. The damage and destruction resulting was unprecedented in the history of Newcastle. The loss of life was mourned by all Novocastrians. This event did, however, show the resilience of Newcastle as a city. Authorities and trades came together and rectified the damage. While the damage was physically repaired the scars of this event are still borne by everyone who experienced it.

The 1990s saw the birth of the World Wide Web, revolutionising communication and information sharing globally. Lambourne Partners quickly adapted to this new technological landscape, embracing the internet to enhance our service delivery. This period marked the beginning of a new era for us, as we leveraged the power of the internet to provide timely, accurate financial information and advice to our clients, positioning ourselves at the forefront of technological advancements in the industry.

A major event in 1991 was the opening of the John Hunter Hospital at Rankin Park. This state-of-the-art facility was the largest construction project ever undertaken in the area and continues to play an important role in the healthcare and training services of Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. The construction involved many local contractors including many clients of our practice. One of our largest clients, Sulcal Constructions Pty Limited operated by the late Garry Callinan constructed all the retaining walls on the site, which if you are aware of the topography of the site was a significant achievement.

The introduction of the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) in 1992 was a landmark event for Australian employees and businesses alike. The industrial tribunal initially faced challenges in compelling employers to comply with superannuation contributions. In response, the government shifted enforcement rights to the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and expanded the compulsory superannuation contribution to all employees. This move marked the official start of the Superannuation Guarantee. At Lambourne Partners, we played a crucial role in helping our clients understand and implement these new regulations, ensuring their compliance and securing the retirement futures of their employees.

In 1994, as Lambourne Partners continued to grow, we moved to larger premises in The Junction Village at Kenrick Street. We purchased the site previously occupied by Winston’s Nightclub which was to be our home for the next four years. Stephen Lambourne felt quite at home in his new office, which was formally the bar of the nightclub.

Lambourne Partners started the year welcoming Andrew Price as trainee accountant whilst bush fires raged along the eastern seaboard from Batemans Bay to the Queensland border. Andrew’s role in Lambourne Partners has grown from these humble beginnings, becoming our first employee in Lambourne Partners Wealth when this was established in 2003, and having helped guide and assist a core group of clients with their investment and superannuation needs in his role as a senior financial planner over the last 21 years.

1995 saw Silverchair an Australian rock band, and our very own Newcastle High School students releasing their debut album Frogstomp.

The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo competition conducted by SBS television show Nomad and Triple J. Their Triple J recording of ‘Tomorrow’ spent six weeks at number 1 on the ARIA singles chart. They have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

Lambourne Partners reached double figures with the 10th employee being welcomed. The team has grown over the years from a very intimate team where you could nearly see everyone in the office from your desk to a large, diversified team offering a multitude of services over different levels of the office.

The 1997 ARL grand final was unique in that it was the only year in Australian premiership history in which the competition was split. The mighty Knights beat the minor premiers Manly defeating them 22-16 claiming their first GF with Darren Albert scoring in the dying seconds of the match. What a moment for all of Newcastle and who could forget the after party.

In 1998, as Lambourne Partners continued to grow, we once again needed larger offices and moved to Newcomen Street, Newcastle. This was the former home of the Newcastle Rugby Club and had been converted into a very comfortable office facility. Parking was becoming a serious problem in the Newcastle CBD and most of our staff parking near King Edward Park. Scott Lucas thoroughly enjoyed the move as he could walk across the road to The Newcastle Club for lunch.

1999 saw BHP formally closing its facility in Newcastle. BHP had a long and prosperous history in Newcastle and was the major employer in the region. The spin-off to supporting contractors was a significant part of the Newcastle economy and in many ways, Newcastle had become very reliant upon the BHP business in the town. For probably five years prior to its formal closure the BHP facility was in a wind down mode and there was great uncertainty as to what would happen and when it would happen. Once the announcement was made that the BHP was closing it was a great relief to the business community and in Stephen Lambourne’s opinion was one of the best things that could have happened to Newcastle for the long term. Once again, the resilience of the Newcastle business community was on-show as contractors to BHP had begun diversifying their businesses knowing that this day would happen. When the day eventually arrived, the business community was on the front foot and as a result we now enjoy a much more diverse industrial and business community. The closure allowed Newcastle to grow to the powerhouse that it has become.

Lambourne Partners anticipating a busy period for its clients with the introduction of the GST legislation employs a new trainee, with Chad Nean commencing as a trainee of the practice in April 2000. Chad is now a partner in the practice. This was closely followed by the employment of Sally Anderson in June 2000. Both have been at Lambourne Partners now for 24 years.

Lambourne Partners were celebrating its 18th year when Paul Franks was appointed a partner after joining as an employee late in 1997. Paul was married with one child at that stage with his family growing in the years to come. Paul grew up in Medowie, attending Marist Brothers Hamilton which later became St Francis Xaviers College. After attending Newcastle University, he joined a sole practitioner in Lambton Stephen Box for the first 5 years after graduating.

Still in the 18th year Lambourne Partners took the bold step to move out of the CBD from its premises in Newcomen Street and into the current building in Hudson Street Hamilton. The location provided plenty of car parking on site and easy access from Newcastle suburbs. History shows that moving out of the CBD was something many other businesses would follow, with the Newcastle CBD transforming from the retail hub of Newcastle to a residential high-rise suburb.

Originally commenced to fill a niche where we felt clients were not getting serviced from other providers the financial planning division was established to provide superannuation, investment and insurance services to clients. Starting from a point where there was Andrew Price providing these opportunities to clients it has grown over the years to having 5 advisers and 6 support staff working from two separate office locations.

Lambourne Partners celebrates its 21st birthday, by appointing Jason Ginns as their 4th Accounting Partner, joining Stephen Lambourne, Scott Lucas, and Paul Franks. Jason had made the move to God’s Country from Canberra a few years before, the best decision of his life, and has been helping meet the needs of our clients and their business for the last 21 years. Back in 2005 you would have found Jason running around Townson Oval on a weekend with the South Newcastle Lions, but times have changed with three daughters, resulting in a switch to the NNA netball courts in 2024.

As the world faced the onset of the Global Financial Crisis, Lambourne Partners marked its 23rd year of service to the Newcastle and Hunter community. Global stock markets plummeted, with major indices falling by over 50%, creating widespread panic and uncertainty. The financial turmoil tested businesses and families alike, but our team remained steadfast. We navigated through these challenging times, providing critical financial guidance and support to our clients. With resilience and dedication, we helped many weather the storm, ensuring their financial stability in the face of unprecedented global economic upheaval. This period highlighted our commitment to being a pillar of strength for our clients, demonstrating that in times of crisis, Lambourne Partners stands side by side with you.

2007 marked the 23rd year of Lambourne Partners and also the Pasha Bulker ship that ran aground on Nobbys Beach which made international headlines. The storm caused major flooding, strong winds and high seas, killing nine people and caused significant damage to thousands of homes in the region.

One current staff members account “I remember the storm vividly, I struggled to get home from work as my car floated down a local street and having to stay at my grandparents’ house in Hamilton for the night. I remember Scott Lucas ringing every staff member to make sure we were all safe, showing our value of genuine CARE for all
employees”.

Jets win the A-League It was a grudge match for the ages, the F3 derby had the Newcastle Jets v the Central Coast competing in the 2008 A-League grand final. Mark Bridge was the hero for the Jets slotting the only goal of the match defeating a Mariners side featuring three Socceroos. It was a special moment for Newcastle when the boys held up the infamous golden toilet seat trophy.

The Lambourne team reaches an employment milestone employing its 25th staff member. This has now increased to over 70 staff across our Accounting, Consulting, Auditing, Wealth and Finance divisions.

Lambourne Partners celebrated its 26th birthday, and so did Tony Carter, a new Accountant commencing with Lambourne Partners this year. Tony is now an Associate Partner at Lambourne Partners, but back then never would have thought where his accounting journey would take him when seeking his first job in the profession. Making Newcastle his home after moving from Darwin, the team and clients he has worked with over this time he said, “have been second to none”.

Lambourne Partners holds its first charity golf day. The idea around this day was to look to gather our clients and referral partners to benefit a local, Newcastle based charity which has little government assistance. From these early beginnings the golf day has now raised for these local charities over $200,000. The day continues to grow with amazing support shown over many years from our many important clients and businesses involved in this day. Care is a core value of Lambourne Partners, and the results of this golf day is something we are extremely proud of.

Lambourne Partners hosted our very first day at the Newcastle Racecourse in 2012 with the idea of connecting our clients and referral partners whilst having a good time and trying to back a winner. The day was a huge success and has since become a regular networking event on our calendar.

In a major change to the government support landscape the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) sees its full rollout in New South Wales. This saw a new industry develop, providing support to over 650,000 NDIS participants and employment for over 350,000 by 2024. Aligning with our value of care for clients and the community, Lambourne Partners has a keen focus on providing quality services in support of NDIS businesses, ensuring they can continue to successfully meet the needs and services required by their own participants.

Lambourne Partners celebrates its 30th Birthday and Gemma Williams joins the firm as a Trainee Accountant. Gemma had already established a career in Commercial Accounting before making the move to Public Practice, wanting to expand her knowledge and find a more rewarding career. And what a rewarding career it has been so far. Gemma was appointed Associate Partner in 2020, and this year celebrates her 10-year anniversary with Lambourne Partners.

As Lambourne Partners reached its 31st year we looked abroad for the first time in our history for staffing due to staff shortages locally in Newcastle. After much research and travel, our first employees in the Philippines were employed. Nine years later our first employee Jenny is still a part of the team, and she now manages our offshore team. Since then, we have helped many clients recruit offshore staff which has been a great success for all involved.

Chad Nean and Chad Stead had been long term employees of Lambourne Partners commencing in 2000 and 2002 respectively. After starting their journey to partnership and becoming Associate Partners in 2012, Chad and Chad had been offered full equity in 2016 and they haven’t looked back since being the 5th and 6th partners of the practice.

2017 marked a significant milestone for Lambourne Partners Wealth as Kurt Purkiss joined the leadership team as a director. With his extensive experience and innovative outlook, Kurt has been pivotal in driving our Wealth divisions growth and client-focused approach. Since his appointment, the wealth team has expanded to over 13 staff members, moved to its own dedicated floor within our building, and continues to grow. Since becoming a director, Kurt has welcomed two children into his family. While he’s traded chasing his sporting dreams for chasing his kids around the backyard, his commitment to his clients, community, and driving LPW to excellence remains unwavering. Kurt’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the future of LPW, benefiting both our team and our valued clients.

In February 2017, Lambourne Partner expands its team with a dedicated Audit and Assurance Manager. Paul Quealey is employed to head and drive forward the division, focusing on providing audit and assurance services to private, for-purpose, and government sector organisations across NSW. Lambourne Partners identified a need for high quality audit services to organisations not receiving sufficient one-on-one and detailed services from other larger assurance providers. Paul has driven the division forward, becoming Partner on 1 July 2019.

Jye Smith joined Lambourne Partners to head up Lambourne Partners Finance. The finance broking division of Lambourne Partners was created to assist clients with all their lending needs.

Since its inception nearly five years ago, the division has grown to include a talented team of seven staff members specialising in residential lending, commercial lending, SMSF lending, small business lending, developments, asset, and vehicle finance.

Launched on the cusp of the pandemic, the finance team navigated challenging times and uncertainty with resilience and dedication for our clients.

Over the years, we have proudly assisted over 750 clients across Australia, build wealth through property, save money, support business growth as well as navigate the turbulent times of the pandemic and rapid rate increases – something we are particularly proud of.

Lambourne Partners reaches its 36th year, as the worldwide Covid pandemic causes severe social and economic disruption around the world. The Lambourne Partners team faced up to this crisis, swinging into action from our home offices, kitchen tables, and couches, helping our clients navigate the unknown, ensured our clients accessed what government assistance they were entitled to, making sure we were there at all hours of the day and night to listen to and lend a supportive ear to our clients and team as we rode through these unprecedented times. Tough times, and we couldn’t be prouder of how the Lambourne Partners team stood up and helped our clients and team through those crazy days, weeks, and then months.

Lambourne Partners celebrates International Women’s Day with its first annual IWD event. IWD is an opportunity to come together in allyship and to discuss how we can work together to improve equity, challenge stereotypes, and innovate change. At Lambourne Partners we value diversity and equality, and wanted to provide an event for our staff and professional network that was thought provoking and provided some practical tools and takeaways to enable the conversation to continue beyond IWD. Each of our annual events partnered with international speaker and coach, Alison Shamir.

Lambourne Partners have been providing proactive business advice to assist our clients since 1984, and in 2022 we took this proactive advice to the next level, establishing Lambourne Partners Consulting, a team dedicated solely to providing timely and tailored advice in the complex areas of operating and improving client’s businesses. Lambourne Partners Consulting was launched to further meet the needs of our clients, focusing on delivering forward-looking advice, insights, and strategy, based on a deep understanding of your operations, finances, and the relevant data available.

Lambourne Partners launched its dedicated bookkeeping team in 2022 to meet the growing needs of our clients in this area. Our clients can now choose from tailored options, including helpdesk support, comprehensive bookkeeping, payroll, banking, and creditor management. Our rapidly growing team supports businesses across various industries, helping them navigate financial challenges. In times of cash flow difficulties, we are dedicated to restoring clarity and reestablishing control. The synergy between our bookkeeping and accounting teams enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and strategic value Lambourne Partners offers our clients every day.

An exciting new chapter for Lambourne Partners Wealth as we proudly announce that we have been granted our Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). This significant achievement marks our commitment to providing independent, high-quality financial advice. As one of the few firms in our region to hold this licence, we are poised to enhance our service offerings and continue delivering tailored, client-focused solutions. This milestone is not just about compliance; it’s about our unwavering dedication to excellence and the trust our clients place in us. Here’s to a future of greater possibilities and continued success, driven by our new AFSL status.