Our Story
The practice was originally established in 1981 by Richard Prevett. Melessa Henderson purchased the practice in April 2013 and 101 Accountants was born!
101 Accountants reflects a few things – our address is 101 Arawa Street, and did you know that one of the first accounting papers in an Accounting Diploma or Degree is ‘101 Accounting’.
We want 101 Accountants to be one of the first options for your accountancy requirements.
Melessa Henderson purchased the accountancy practice of RA Prevett Ltd in April 2013, after working with Richard & his team for three years. Richard has 30+ years of experience and history with the existing client base.
Melessa built up a good working relationship with the existing clients and has since welcomed many new clients to the firm through her small town connections in the community. The team has changed over the years, with some originals still remaining. Richard continues as a part-time Consultant to enable continuity and experience within the Practice with his valued knowledge and expertise.
Meet the Team
Melessa Henderson - CA. B.Bus
Principal
Melessa grew up in New Plymouth, relocating to Matamata in 1997. She completed her tertiary studies over many years by correspondence while juggling working and family commitments. Melessa has had considerable experience in Public Practice and Corporate Accounting, before being approached by Richard Prevett in 2010 to work for him with the intention to buy the Practice upon his semi-retirement.
Melessa enjoys meeting with clients to discuss their business performance, tax planning and future goals. She also enjoys networking and regularly attending BA5 and Women in Business events.
Melessa is married to Colin with 2 adult children, and 2 cats. She is an active member in some of our local community organisations, taking time out for walks and playing squash. She enjoys following sporting activities, shopping, wining & dining, but also appreciates some downtime at home and away at the Lakehouse.
Richard Prevett – Retired CA
Consultant
Richard has been in Public Practice for 30+ years, after teaching Accounting at Matamata College in the 1970’s, with some of his old students becoming loyal clients. In April 2013, Richard sold his practice to Melessa Henderson, but continues to work more leisurely hours as a Consultant for Melessa and her team, which enables continuity and invaluable experience to our existing clients.
Richard is a well-known Matamata personality, with his hockey and hurdling exploits in his younger days and his involvement in the Dramatic Society and Playwright Association. Richard is enjoying spending more time at his beach house at the Mount with wife Jo.
Wendy Oliver - AT
Practice Manager / Accountant
Wendy has been within the team at 101 Accountants (formerly Harris Prevett Alexander) since 2003, having looked after many tax compliance aspects of the organisation over the years.
Wendy is our farming client specialist, looking after most of our rural clients and keeping up to date with all the changes, she is also our resident tax administrator sending out those reminder emails with bad (tax) news.
Wendy completed her Accounting Technician (AT) qualification in 2018, which reflects her considerable accounting experience.
Wendy is married to Jimmy and they run an Agricultural/Water business and an online business selling water fittings. They have 2 teenage children, Grace & Austin.
Wendy enjoys holidaying on their boat with the family, quiet time with a good book, and is always up for a social Friday drink.
Maree White
Intermediate Accountant / Payroll Manager
Maree joined our team in July 2015, as an extra staff member to help our growing workload. Maree is multi-talented, doing everything from administration and data inputting, to coding and preparation of GST Returns and Financial Statements as well as our in-house Payroll administration.
Maree is married to Rob, and they operate a local Earthmoving & Contracting Business. Maree enjoys her spare time at home in the garden and walking their dogs.
Ella-Maria King - B.Bus
Intermediate Accountant / Payroll Support
Ella-Maria joined our team in February 2022 after completing a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and minoring in Human Resources at Waikato University. Alongside Maree, Ella-Maria looks after our business clients with GST and tax return work, payroll and administration.
Ella-Maria wants to become a Chartered Accountant and will start undertaking the CA program once settled in at 101 Accountants.
Ella-Maria enjoys weekends away camping, picnics on the beach, a good shopping trip and spending time with her friends and family.
Our History
Way back in the mid 20th Century Matamata was fortunate to have worthy chartered accountants like Roly Fulton, Murray Green, Wally Smeaton, Ken Gilbert, Murray Blanchett, Keith Holloway and Bruce Candy. We have ‘genealogical’ links to all of these astute gentlemen.
Richard Prevett left school to take up employment as a trainee accountant with Keith Holloway while Murray Green joined up with Roly Fulton. Originally a Waihi citizen Bruce Harris decided to finish his career with NZ Rail in Wellington and moved to join Murray Green in Matamata following Roly Fulton’s retirement. Then Bruce Harris decided to set up his own practice and built the ground floor of the present site at 101 Arawa Street.
In 1981 Richard Prevett joined Bruce and not long after the ‘Harris Prevett’ firm was established. Murray Blanchett followed his colleagues Wally Smeaton and Ken Gilbert into retirement and Bruce and Richard absorbed the Smeaton, Gilbert & Blanchett clients into their practice.
Rex Tappin practiced with Bruce Candy before becoming CFO for Tidmarsh Engineering and then moving to run his own firm in Papamoa. The untimely deaths of Bryon Green, Keith Newman and Rex Tappin also lead to Harris Prevett acquiring further clients.
CA’s Russell Alexander and Kim Hancock were both welcomed into Harris Prevett and contributed to the firm’s success for many years before each decided to move on to other pastures – Russell to undertake the huge challenge of Hobbiton and Kim to establish his own practice. The departure of these two ‘young guns’ created a large gap in the succession plans for the ageing Bruce and Richard. Fortunately with the false promises of great riches from little effort they were able to entice Bruce’s grand-daughter Adelene Tiddy and Open Country accountant Melessa Henderson to take over the reins of each practice, with the current “101 Accountants” market brand.
So September 2012 saw Adelene take over Bruce’s practice, and in April 2013 Melessa purchased the practice of RA Prevett Ltd while still having Bruce and Richard available as Consultants on a part-time basis. Adelene & Melessa operate from the same premises of ‘101 Accountants’. Although they are two totally separate practices, the continued ‘cost sharing’ arrangement works well, with a pool of resources and staff to share between them for the benefit of the team and clients.
And we look forward to many more good years ahead in the prominent building that the locals know as ‘The Accountants’.