Bird Family
WALTER PANGBOURNE BIRD JP
Tailor & Mercer
Walter Bird opened in business in Katanning in 1909 and established a branch at Wagin. Mr. Bird was born at Wangaratta, Victoria, on May 11, 1878. Leaving school in his early teens, he became apprenticed in tailoring trade at Benalla, Victoria.
Having completed his indentures in 1897, he migrated to Albany, Western Australia. A year later he continued his travels to Kalgoorlie. After being employed in several jobs he joined Mr. P. S. Jane in a business partnership but was dissolved a few years later due to a depression in trade which settled on the goldfields.
Subsequently Mr. Bird determined to launch out for himself and, coming to Katanning, established himself in business. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Katanning Magisterial District in 1932.
In addition to his business pursuits, he had taken keen interest in the various organisations with music, both vocal and instrumental, his forte. His fine bass voice made him popular in social gatherings and he was conductor of the Methodist Church choir. He was also a member of the Masonic craft, in which he held various offices and, in earlier days, he was well known in local cricket and football.
In 1905 Mr. Bird married Alice Emma Gunter of Katanning, and had two sons and one daughter.
He is the father of Sir Charles Pangbourne Bird who started C.P. Bird & Associates – later merging RSM.
SIR CYRIL PANGBOURNE BIRD
Accountant
5 April 1906 – 19 March 1984
Born in Katanning, Cyril Pangbourne Bird, the son of Walter Bird, decided on a career in accounting and, at the age of 17, he obtained articles with the accounting firm Walter Collins & Co. In 1927 he became a qualified accountant and, in 1931, he joined the National Service Company (later RSM Bird Cameron) and rose through the company to become director and manager in 1941 and was elected chairman of the company in 1952 .
On 1 January 1955, when the partnership of C. P. Bird & Associates commenced in Perth, he became the first managing partner. In 1968 he stood down as managing partner and in 1969 he retired from the partnership but remained on the Executive Committee as a consultant. He was knighted in 1968 for services to the accounting industry.
He died on 19 March 1984.
From the RSM Website:
Whilst it is common in 2022 (and some might say essential) to focus on staff engagement and retention, RSM recognised very early on the importance of its people.
The progressive Edgar R Woolcott, who was definitely ahead of his time, understood that times were very uncertain, introduced profit sharing and bonuses for employees recognising the need for focus and engagement from the team. This helped to attract and retain talented staff, which allowed the company build and continue delivering quality services to clients.
Woolcott surrounded himself with talented men and women who could drive the business forward, including Cyril Bird – a young man of many talents who was drawn to the firm due to its reputation for fair remuneration. Sir Cyril Bird’s tenure with RSM was 45 years, including 16 years in the most senior role of Chairman.
Bird was mentored by Woolcott throughout the early 1930s and was eventually appointed as secretary to the company. This allowed Woolcott to step back and become less involved with the day-to-day management of the firm.
During the Depression’s worst period, Woolcott acknowledged that cutbacks to staff and wages may be necessary – but prefaced that any staff who had wages reduced would be recompensated when times improved. Fortunately, there were no layoffs and the extent of sacrifices were limited to a suspension of the staff share scheme and a 20 per cent reduction in wages. More
BIRD FLIES HIGH WITH AN INDEPENDENT OUTLOOK
Cyril Bird, who ran the firm from 1934 to 1969, was such an aggressive marketer that he fell foul of the professional rules of the day, and in 1962 he and fellow partners were each fined $200 for canvassing. “From then on, the shutters went down and we decided we had to be good lads,” says present chairman Ron Swinney. More
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
https://www.lostkatanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2022-04-28-RSM-100-years-book.pdf
Bird Family. Bird Family.