Our Brand Story

The concept of a ‘trust’ was developed in England approximately 900 years ago at the time of the Crusades.  When a Knight was preparing to set off for battle he faced the prospect of losing not only his life, but the forfeiture of his estate.  He took the precautionary measure of transferring the legal title of his property, money, and family heirlooms to a trustee. 

The demands for a local trustee were not realised in Australia until the 1870s when there was an inflow of wealth created by the Victorian gold rush.  Individuals who had struck it lucky would often travel home to England by long sea voyage and required someone to be the administrator of their estate in their absence.   - Brand History

Two prominent business men, Nathan Thornley and John Mackiehan, opened their doors in Melbourne under the trading name of Union Trustee Executors and Administrators Company in 1885 established under a special act of the Victorian Parliament.  Looking to the origins of a trustee, they chose the insignia of a three turreted castle to represent them on all legal documents and to demonstrate the link back to the time of the Crusades.  

Since then the company has grown and amalgamated many times, but our goal has always been to act in the best interest of our clients.  As such we have become leaders in both personal and corporate trust services.

As we commemorate our 125th year and having undertaken our strategic review, our vision and direction required a new brand model to accompany the next step of our journey.  We turned to our rich heritage to find what was unique and strong in our company and drew inspiration from our three turreted castle.  We chose our symbol of ‘the Keep’ as it is the strongest and safest part of a castle.

We believe that our new look is befitting for a company who is the keeper of all things valuable and reflects the core essence of being a trustee.