The firm commenced in 1951 under the name of Blackmore and Hearne with offices in central Auckland. When Dan Virtue became a partner in 1960 the name changed to Blackmore, Hearne and Virtue. Dick Blackmore died in 1962 and Doris Hearne retired in 1996. Athol Owens joined in 1972 and the firm became Blackmore, Virtue & Owens in 1997. Dan passed away in 2010 after 50 years as a partner. Sadly, Athol recently passed away, he was with BVO for 48 years and in that time, he worked tirelessly to provide high quality accounting services with a focus on sound business advice and strong, lasting relationships. He was a wealth of knowledge and a trusted mentor.