History

Capitis Accounting Solutions boasts a proud history dating back to May 1979 when Warren E. Stewart commenced as a sole practitioner.

Having completed his education at the Dimboola Primary and Secondary Schools, Ballarat College and the Australian National University in Canberra, Warren gained employment at the Federal Treasury in Canberra. He then moved back to Melbourne to a position with Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG).

During this time, Warren completed his studies to become a Chartered Accountant.

These employment positions were rewarding but failed to provide the one-to-one personal contact he felt important in a working life. When an opportunity in public practice became available in Horsham, Warren made the move back to the Wimmera.

Even though Warren was offered a partnership position at this firm, his dream of being a public accountant in Dimboola remained a major objective. Consequently, with the understanding and consent of his wife Pamela, Warren opened an office as a sole practitioner in Lloyd Street, Dimboola in May 1979.

The trials and tribulations of establishing a public practice in a small town with a zero client base were numerous. Without Pamela’s unwavering support to a “naïve” husband (she was also his secretary), the business would have floundered. However, they worked hard and the client base continued to grow.

Warren opened an office in Warracknabeal at the same time. The Warracknabeal office was open three days a week and Dimboola two days a week.

Jeremy Bush, well known in the area due to his lengthy involvement with the Wimmera Football League, commenced employment as a graduate accountant in May 1989. Due to increased growth, an office was opened in Horsham in May 1990 with Jeremy as office manager and Pamela as secretary.

On 1 September 1998, Warren admitted Jeremy (now a Chartered Accountant) as a business partner and the business changed its trading name to Stewart, Bush & Company.

The accounting practice continued to grow under the stewardship of Warren and Jeremy. They diversified into financial planning with the establishment of Wimmera Financial Solutions (WFS), offering a full range of financial and investment advice services. WFS has three financial planners - Meryn Barnett, Jeremy and Warren. Jacqui Jaensch (nee Spicer) also works with WFS and is currently completing her studies to obtain her Diploma of Financial Services.

On 1 October 2006, Warren and Jeremy introduced Simon and Samara Dandy as business partners to form Capitis Accounting Solutions. Samara worked at Stewart, Bush & Company for six years and Simon was introduced to the firm after gaining experience in another Wimmera accounting firm. Both Simon and Samara are Chartered Accountants and commenced their professional careers with Ernst & Young in Melbourne.

Capitis Accounting Solutions continues to operate with offices in Horsham, Dimboola and Warracknabeal. From its humble beginnings, the business has grown into a leading professional services firm in the Wimmera region, employing 12 professional (including partners) and four administration staff.

The team has embraced current technologies in order to improve the efficiency of service delivery to clients. On 1 July 2007, Capitis Accounting Solutions introduced a “paperless office” system, allowing client records and documents to be stored electronically. This allows us to transfer information quickly between offices as it is accessible at the “click of a button”.

Capitis Accounting Solutions is committed to delivering service excellence to its clients in a professional, friendly and approachable manner. We are proud of our heritage and excited about the future as we continue to grow and evolve with our clients.