Sentinel boss’ German roots celebrated at birthday bash

Sentinel Property Group staff have delivered a 66th birthday surprise for CEO Warren ‘The Property Whisperer’ Ebert with a tribute to his German heritage.

Sentinel Property Group founder Warren Ebert explores German roots.

Staff at Brisbane-based syndicator Sentinel Property Group have delivered a 66th birthday surprise for CEO Warren ‘The Property Whisperer’ Ebert with a tribute to his German heritage. The Sentinel boss was presented with a framed coat-of-arms with the Ebert family crest and details of famous Eberts around the world, including a former German Chancellor. Usually low key on his birthday, the Sentinel boss was caught off guard by the birthday surprise which included a cake decorated in the colours of the Brisbane Broncos.

One of the famous Eberts listed on the ‘Ancient Arms of Ebert’ coat-of-arms was Friedrich Ebert, reportedly a great uncle of Warren Ebert, who was Chancellor of Germany and its first president during the Weimar period following World War I.

Birthday boy: Sentinel Property Group founder Warren Ebert.

Closer to home among the celebrity Eberts is the late Russell Ebert, who is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Australian rules football in South Australia, and the only player to have won four Magarey Medals, for being the best and fairest player in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He is one of four Australian rules footballers to have a statue at Adelaide Oval. As well as acknowledging his achievements from a long career in the commercial property sector, the Ebert tribute document also mentions his pre-property career as a taxi driver, spending seven years behind the wheel of a cab in Brisbane.

Taxing times

Accounting giant KPMG, which usually provides financial advice to the top end of town, is helping the less well off with their tax returns.

KPMG has sealed a sponsorship deal with the landmark Griffith Tax Clinic that will see it provide funding of $33,000 to help support the clinic’s community work.

The clinic, which has been operating for five years, is staffed by Griffith University tax students under professional supervision who provide advice to vulnerable individuals, small businesses, and community organisations. Located at Griffith’s Logan campus, the free clinic is the only service of its kind in South-East Queensland.

Helping hand during tax time.

KPMG tax partner Hayley Lock says the clinic is a vital link in improving tax literacy and compliance for individuals and organisations, who are unable to afford professional advice. “The clinic also improves the confidence of clients in being able to deal with their tax obligations going forward,” says Lock.

Over the last five years almost 130 Griffith students have worked at the clinic, receiving 2,052 client inquiries, conducting 1,034 client meetings and lodging approximately 2,200 tax returns, including Business Activity Statements. The clinic’s co-directors Melissa Belle Isle and Brett Freudenberg, says it is fantastic to have KPMG as an ally in the venture.

KPMG will host a careers in tax session on August 27 at the clinic followed by a free community tax workshop on superannuation from 5pm to 7pm.

New chapter

Brisbane-based QBD Books, the country’s largest Australian-owned and operated book retailer, is on the expansion trail with its 88th store set to open on August 31.

The store opening at Orion Springfield Central will include in-store appearances and a signing with journalist Trent Dalton, whose novel ‘Boy Swallows Universe’ dominated the Australian Logie awards this past weekend, taking home five wins.