The history of Gill Family Corp begins with Gordon and Margaret Gill, who had a vision that saw them develop, own and invest in various business ventures including an accounting firm, multiple primary producing cattle farms, a bus company, and an urban development in the South East corridor of Melbourne.
The legacy of Gill Family Corp is now in the hands of Gordon and Margaret’s three daughters, Heather, Bronwyn and Sally. The three shareholder directors are supported by a professional board of industry experts and long-standing partners including Macpherson Kelley Lawyers, Patison Partners Accountants and Beveridge Williams Project Managers. The Group manages multiple entities including Heathsallwyn Investments, St.Germain Property Group and Gildon Investments.
1966
Gordon begins work with Patison Partners
Gordon was the third partner in the history of Patison Partners, a small accounting practice in Warragul, Victoria. He worked there until his retirement in the early 1980s and maintained a relationship with the firm through Gill Family Corp.
1972
A farming family
The Gill Family lived and worked on primary producing holdings in Warragul South, Labertouche and then Modella between 1972-1980.
1973
Creation of the Tarago Building Society
Gordon was involved in the creation of the Tarago Building Society in Warragul, in 1973. Today, the Society operates as a bank, as part of the Bendigo Bank network.
1980
Lerwick Park
Gordon and Margaret Gill purchased land in Berwick and started Lerwick Park, an operating stud cattle farm. This land is now the current site for St.Germain.
1982
Berwick Bus Lines
Margaret and Gordon pursued a new business venture and purchased Berwick Bus Lines. The bus lines operated out of Berwick for just under 15 years.
1989
Macpherson Kelley join the team
Gill Family Corp have been working with Macpherson Kelley since 1989, when Bruce Fletcher assisted Gordon and Margaret with various legal representations. We continue to work with Macpherson Kelley today.
1995
Bus Lines Sold
Following almost 15 years of operation, Berwick Bus Lines was divided and sold by the managing body, Heathsallwyn Investments (HSI), an entity that exists today under the Gill Family Corp umbrella. ‘Berwick Transit’ and ‘Berwick Bus Lines’ were sold to Grendas Buslines and Warragul Buslines respectively.
2006
Arcadia Farm
Following on from success in primary produce farming, Arcadia Farm in Shepparton was purchased and operated until 2015 when it was sold.
2009
The transformation into St.Germain
After 40 years, Gordon was ready to transform Lerwick Park into ‘a place like no other’, where multipurpose trips to the Town Centre would be the norm. Gordon had a vision for a local Town Centre, complete with a significant future commercial offering, community social infrastructure and a strong retail hub, surrounded by a thriving community. This vision is now the adopted approach for Town Centre developments in Melbourne and Victoria and the establishment of multi-purpose centres is an ingrained part of every large-scale strategic plan produced today. Beveridge Williams were engaged to include the farm in the Urban Growth Boundary of Melbourne, allowing Gordon’s vision to become a reality.
2022
An identity for the Group
Gill Family Corp was established as a formal identification of our group of companies. With a new brand and website, we’re looking to the future and are driven by the opportunities we see ahead.
Building the Vision
Patison Partners
Gordon commenced working with Patison Partners, an accounting firm in Warragul, in the mid 1960s. He proved himself to be a practical, clear thinker with a very good brain for business and subsequently became the third partner in the history of the firm. His career with Patison Partners saw him assist and support many businesses throughout the local region, through many challenging times and ultimately helped them become thriving, successful businesses, many of which are still operating today.
Today Patison Partners is the largest locally owned and controlled practice in the West Gippsland area. When Gordon eventually retired in the early 1980’s, he continued on to build Gill Family Corp of companies. Gill Family Corp has continued to work closely with Patison Partners in the years since, an association that affirms Gordon’s legacy now and into the future.
Beveridge Williams
Beveridge Williams were engaged by the St.Germain Property Group in early 2009, to assist Gordon in achieving a long held, and long term vision for ‘a place like no other’ – a significant development in the South East corridor of Melbourne. The land holdings had been in the Gill family’s ownership for over 40 years and Gordon was strongly motivated to leave a lasting impression of the family’s legacy in the local area.
Beveridge Williams, assisted by consultant partners, oversaw the process to have the site included inside the Urban Growth Boundary, and then achieved the inclusion in the overall Strategic Plans for the area of a local Town Centre, complete with a significant future commercial offering, community social infrastructure and a strong retail hub.
Macpherson Kelley
Macpherson Kelley’s relationship with Gill Family Corp started in the late 1980s with Bruce Fletcher assisting Gordon and Margaret Gill on the Lease of Lerwick Park in Clyde (1989). Since then they have continued to assist with many business transactions for Gill Family Corp and its extended network.
“We are extremely proud of the long history between Gill Famiiy Corp and Macpherson Kelley and relish long term client/solicitor relationships like this. Long may it continue.”
