Our Insights

For Murray and Barbara Williams, farming has never just been an occupation; it has been the thread that wove their family’s story across decades, different industries, and properties in regional Western Australia. Murray was born on a farm in Dardanup in the early 1938s. By 1963, he and Barbara had purchased the family property from his parents, stepping into the long days and hard work of farm ownership. 

 “It was a tough start,” Murray recalls. “We had debt, no income, and I didn’t know much about accounting in those days.” The financial pressure was real, but advice from a neighbour led them to a trusted accountant named Bill Thornton. “That’s how I started with Thorntons,” he says. “Bill said, ‘I’ll take you on as a client.’” It would be the beginning of a relationship that would span more than 60 years. 

 Building a Life on the Land 

 In those early years, survival meant finding income wherever it could be earned. Murray, a capable shearer, spent months away from the farm working sheds across the state while Barbara managed things at home. “I knew how to shear a sheep,” Murray says with a smile. “That kept the money coming in and kept the farm afloat.” 

 Through the 1970s, they battled debt, raised their young family, and slowly turned the farm into a viable enterprise. But farming is never static. By the late 1970s, they had sold that first property and moved north to the Chapman Valley near Geraldton, chasing opportunity and new beginnings. 

 “It was beautiful country,” Murray remembers. “We grew lupins and cereals. It was different country, different challenges, but that’s farming.” 

 From the Paddock to the Sea: A Leap into Crayfishing 

 By the early 1990s, the Williams family made a dramatic pivot from cropping to the sea. Selling the farm, they purchased a small property near Northampton and invested in a crayfishing boat. Their son, keen to work on the water, became a deckhand and later gained his skipper’s ticket. 

 “It was a big jump,” Murray admits. “We sold the farm, bought the boat, and gave it everything.” For years, crayfishing provided a good living and new challenges. It was another chapter in a life defined by resilience, risk, and adaptation. 

 Returning to Farming Roots 

 In the early 2000s, Murray and Barbara purchased a large 7,500-acre farm in the Mid West. It was a return to what they knew best; broadacre cropping and livestock. “We were lucky,” Murray says. “We bought at the right time, and when we sold the cray boat, the prices had gone through the roof.” 

 Yet health challenges forced another change. After major shoulder surgery left Murray unable to manage such a large holding, they sold the big farm and downsized to a smaller property closer to Geraldton. “It was the right move,” he reflects. “You’ve got to adapt to what life throws at you.” 

 Planning Ahead with Thorntons 

 Throughout all these transitions: farming, crayfishing, buying, selling, and succession, Thorntons was there. What made the difference, Murray says, was not just compliance and tax, but proactive advice. 

 “They’ve always been good at planning ahead,” Murray explains. “Every time we looked at buying or selling, they’d help us work through it. They’d say, ‘Make sure you’ve got the trust set up, make sure you’re covered on insurance, make sure you’ve got your records in order.’ They kept us out of contracts we shouldn’t have been in, and that saved us a lot of stress.” 

 Family trusts, tax planning, estate structures, and generational transitions were all part of the toolkit. “They’ve saved us so much tax over the years,” Murray says plainly. “And they’ve made sure we were ready for the Tax Office if they ever came calling. That peace of mind means everything.” 

 A Relationship Measured in Generations 

 For Murray and Barbara, Thorntons has been more than just accountants. It’s been a constant in a life marked by change. They’ve worked with multiple partners over the decades, from founder Bill Thornton to current partner Troy Anderson. 

 “When we hit 50 years with them, they even took us out for lunch to celebrate,” Murray recalls. “That was really great. They’re not just business advisors. They’re part of our story.” 

 So what would Murray say to anyone considering moving their business to Thorntons? His advice is simple:  

 “They’ll help you. They’ll give you advice. Quite often you find out things you had no idea you needed to know.” 

 About Thorntons 

 Thorntons Accountants and Business Advisors is a Perth-based firm serving clients across Western Australia and beyond. Founded in 1970, the practice has grown from its Wheatbelt roots into a modern advisory group with three partners and a team of more than 20 professional staff. 

 Who Thorntons serve: 

Thorntons clients include family farms, regional businesses, crayfishing and aquaculture, construction, health, tourism, hospitality, and manufacturing. They have particular expertise in multigenerational family enterprises and agribusiness, where long-term strategy and succession planning are critical. 

 What Thorntons offer: 

• Accounting and tax compliance 

• Business advisory and strategy 

• Cash-flow forecasting and benchmarking 

• Estate and succession planning 

• Superannuation and wealth management 

 Final Word 

 Murray and Barbara’s story is one of resilience, adapting from farming to shearing, from crayfishing to cropping, from large holdings to smaller blocks, and always keeping family at the centre. Through it all, Thorntons has been there; planning ahead, providing trusted advice, and helping them navigate both the numbers, and the life decisions behind them. Murray reflects:  

 “We sit down and have a good chat. They make sure we’re covered. It’s not just about tax – it’s about knowing we’re doing the right thing for the family.”