CALLAGHAN, John James (Jim)

CALLAGHAN, John James (Jim)

26.10.1934 - 03.09.2022

A valued member of the Gold Coast,

Beaudesert and Toowoomba Communities.

Devoted Husband of Kay (dec).

Much loved Father of Jennifer and Peter.

Jim's life will be privately celebrated by family in accordance with his wishes.

Forever in our hearts.

TRIBUTE from Paul Steer (partner KPMG 1986 -2015)

It is difficult to put a timeline to Jim’s professional life, as we were not around when it started and even when he retired, he did not retire!

In 1959 Jim joined White and Hancock Chartered Accountants in Brisbane and moved to their Gold Coast office around 1962. In 1968 Jim, with John Cressey, formed Cressey Callaghan & Associates based in Surfers Paradise. This became the largest accountancy firm on the Gold Coast in the 1960’s.

Jim then established his sole practitioner firm in 1979 - JJ Callaghan at Southport. Peat Marwick needed a prominent local identity for their Gold Coast office and acquired JJ Callaghan in 1984. Jim remained as a salaried partner. The firm then underwent a series of mergers resulting in the KPMG of today, which has been based at the Corporate Centre Bundall since 1990. At that time there were 92 staff, 20 shared PCs and KPMG was twice the size of the next largest firm on the Gold Coast. Jim was a very steadying influence over the new firm's 7 partners, who had a wide variety of skills and personalities. KPMG on the Gold Coast now has 110 staff with annual revenues of over $10m.

Jim retired as partner in 1992 but remained an important part of the office for the following 15 years. He was always keen to see how his clients were going, with many of them still on the books. Many staff also spent their working careers with Jim, such as Desley Logan (from 1954) and Val Owens (from 1960). Jim was seen as one of the last 'gentleman' Chartered Accountants, with a broad skill base to readily transcend all industries and service offerings:

Jim had a passion for racing, more to do with the horses and people as opposed to wagering. He was engaged with Gold Coast Turf Club for over 35 years and knew all the Chairmen on a personal level. They always sought Jim's sound advice as the Club grew from a small country town club to a major provincial race Club in Australia.

Over his career Jim saw the enormous growth of the Gold Coast and the firm that he was instrumental in forming. We were fortunate enough in July 2022 to celebrate 65 years of KPMG on the Gold Coast, and Jim was a big part of this family. It was great to see Jim then and he took centre stage as the elder statesman.

The legacy Jim contributed to is more than memories, it is the careers and families of the current and past. The Callaghan family can be very proud of Jim’s professional life.

TRIBUTE from your daughter

Many of my memories of Dad are recorded in the photos and videos of life's milestones. But the memories that keep returning to me are those that were unremarked and unrecorded.

*Dad was the biggest kid in the backyard on fireworks night – nailing Catherine wheels to the fence, setting off rockets from milk bottles, and saving the double bungers for himself

*He would bring home lazy Sunday afternoon Weiss Fruito ice creams, which we ate together on the back steps with our dog

*We would go to collect the UK comics he'd ordered for me and spend ages looking at all the newsagent's books

*He did the best-ever story voices when reading to me and tried to skip the pages if he could

*Dad standing close by in the totally unsafe playgrounds of the 60’s, ready to attend to the inevitable injuries from the monkey bars, roundabouts and see-saws

*Our childhood summer weekends on the boat , so much sun, sand, fishing and salt water fun

*Dad talking quietly to me at my athletics events , suggesting tactics I didn't listen to but his voice was calming

*The look’ I got before I learnt not to try and talk to him during a race call on a Saturday afternoon

*The epic pillow fights when my friends came for sleep-overs

*Sunday night footy with party pies and corn cobs for dinner, always letting me see what the Countdown #1 was before changing the channel, even if he missed the kick off

*Gradually letting me make my own decisions even if he obviously didn’t agree, supporting me with either celebrations or commiserations as required

*The heartbreak we went through together when we lost Mum

*The pride and joy Dad displayed as he welcomed each of his grandchildren and his great-grandson

*Dad just being there, asleep and snoring just 5 minutes into the news in his special reclining chair

As a small child I truly believed my father could fix anything – broken toys, broken skin, the heartbreak of losing a pet. Of course as you grow up you realise that isn't the case, but the fact he was always ready to try and fix things for me meant the world.

Memories like those above will come often and unbidden and make me smile. In this way and over time Dad will be fixing the grief for me .

Dad, the combination of Callaghan and Hurst genes gave you a daughter who could often match you when it came to being fiercely stubborn and independent as she was growing up. You handled it well – you were a great father.

I love you Dad - rest well.