Looking back,
thinking ahead.
The Bentleys Network of today was forged in 1970 as Bentley Wheeler Cartledge & Co when five firms from around Australia – one in Sydney (WH Bentley Frazer & Co), one in Melbourne (Norman Cartledge & Browne), one in Adelaide (Neill Neill Redpath & Co), one in Perth (W Hayes & Co) and one in Brisbane (JL Rawlings Bolton & Co) – joined forces to provide audit services to one of the major financial institutions of the time, Custom Credit Ltd.
Bentleys South Australia was established in 1979, followed by Bentleys Newcastle in the 1980s.
In 1981, the network’s name was shortened to Bentley & Co and then, in 1989, the name was shortened again to Bentleys.
Globalisation paved the way for access to increasing international business opportunities in the early 80s, and Bentleys joined the international association of accounting firms known originally as Joslyn Layton Bennett, then Fox Layton and eventually Moores Rowland International (MRI). Bentleys adopted the ‘MRI’ as a part of its name in 1998.
Fast forward to the 2000s, and growth was an ongoing theme for the Network as the Australian and international business marketplaces expanded. In 2007, the MRI association made way for Praxity – a global alliance of independent accounting firms. In 2009, Bentleys merged with Rix Levy Fowler in Perth. A year later Bentleys NSW was founded.
In 2013, Melbourne firm McLean Delmo merged with Bentleys, and two Tasmanian firms merged to form Bentleys Tasmania. Bentleys’ presence in Tasmania was further strengthened by a merger with Paragon BDS in 2014, resulting in the opening of a Launceston office. 2014 also saw the establishment of Bentleys’ first international office in New Zealand.
Building of our international presence continued when a second international office, in Shanghai, was opened in July 2015, upon the merger of McLean Delmo with TST Capital. The year 2015 also saw continued expansion domestically, with PWA Financial Group joining the firm as Bentleys Sunshine Coast, and three mergers across Australia: Bentleys Newcastle with McCoskers, McLean Delmo Bentleys with UHY Haines Norton in Melbourne, and Bentleys South Australia with (elements of) Moore Stephens in Adelaide. Bentleys Western Australia also acquired Australia Superannuation and Compliance Ltd (ASC). In 2016, Tenuto Financial merged with Bentleys Tasmania.
Today, Bentleys has a team of over 700 skilled people, delivering solutions from 17 locations across Australia, New Zealand and China. Our growth is indicative of our responsiveness in a fast-moving and changing market.
Our Values
Authentic
We are real.
Committed to building relationships, acting with honesty and integrity.
Insightful
We care.
We use our expertise to build a sustainable future for our people, our clients and our community.
Dynamic
We are bold.
We think ahead, embracing the future with confidence and agility.
Connected
Together, we are stronger.
A culture of collaboration and belonging to celebrate our differences.