Hunt & Hunt: A Century of Local Roots, National Reach

What began in 1912 as a Melbourne family firm, and later aligned with a Sydney insurance practice founded in 1929, has grown into a nationally embedded legal group shaped by measured expansion, strong regional identities and a consistent focus on insurance, commercial and government work.

1912 – Melbourne Roots: Martin & Martin

The story of Hunt & Hunt’s Melbourne office starts in 1912, when Herbert Martin – already a well-known Melbourne solicitor – and his nephew John McDonald Martin established Martin & Martin in Melbourne’s legal precinct.

Herbert had been a partner in the well-regarded Eggleston Derham & Martin, a Federation-era commercial and chancery practice that handled wills, estates, property conveyancing and insolvency cases. When that partnership dissolved in the early 1900s, Herbert set about creating a new firm that would continue serving the city’s expanding civic and business community.

Evidence from late-19th-century press notices shows Eggleston Derham & Martin acting in probate, wills and insolvency matters in the 1890s, giving Herbert decades of professional standing before launching the new practice.

John McDonald Martin, born into the second generation of this legal family, joined his uncle as partner in 1912, cementing a family-run practice that would retain both a conservative civic ethos and strong professional networks for most of the 20th century.

Practice Profile and Clients

From its foundation the firm concentrated on property conveyancing, insurance and council advisory work – practical, document-heavy law that was essential to the booming post-Federation Melbourne economy.

Its early client base included three significant institutional relationships:

• Baptist Union of Victoria – long-term honorary legal advisers
• Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Victoria – reflecting the strong role of fraternal societies in civic and charitable works
• Independent Order of Rechabites – a large friendly-society, mutual insurer and community body

These institutional clients shaped the firm’s expertise in superannuation, insurance, trust and governance matters and created a base for future growth.

A Century of Service to the Baptist Union

A defining feature of Martin & Martin’s reputation was its continuous advisory role to the Baptist Union of Victoria across three generations:

• Herbert Martin served as honorary legal adviser until 1923.
• John McDonald Martin continued in the role until 1973.
• Kenneth Martin carried the responsibility through to 1994.

Across a full century, the firm provided uninterrupted counsel to the same institution, a rare example of professional continuity, institutional memory and sustained trust in Australian legal history.

Public Life and Civic Presence

The Martins were visible in the city’s public and religious life. Trove’s digitised newspapers show:

• J. McDonald Martin appearing as a Baptist Union conference president and legal figure in 1926 and 1933 press reports.
• Probate and legal notices throughout the 1940s and 1950s listing “Martin & Martin, solicitors, 37 Queen Street, Melbourne” as the address of record.

This confirms the firm’s presence in the CBD legal grid and its role as a trusted adviser in community and ecclesiastical matters.

Character and Culture

For most of its life Martin & Martin remained a compact, conservatively run commercial practice. It was known for superannuation, insurance and conveyancing work rather than large-scale courtroom litigation, and for building long-term institutional relationships rather than pursuing high-volume transactional business.

This steady, client-first culture made it an ideal Victorian partner when Hunt & Hunt sought a local base with established government and insurance credibility.

Legacy

By the time of the 1989 merger with Hunt & Hunt, Martin & Martin had logged 77 years of continuous Melbourne practice, three generations of leadership, and a client portfolio spanning faith-based institutions, fraternal organisations, insurers and property developers.

That heritage explains why the Melbourne office of Hunt & Hunt continues to carry deep expertise in property, superannuation, governance, insurance and local government.

1929 – The Hunt Brothers in Sydney

While the Martins were building their Victorian base, brothers Hector “Bob” Hunt and Edward “Ted” Hunt opened Hunt & Hunt in Sydney in 1929. They built a strong reputation in insurance, conveyancing and workers’ compensation law, establishing a mid-tier commercial firm that would later expand nationally.

1989 – National Expansion

By the late 1980s Hunt & Hunt’s Sydney leadership aimed to offer seamless national service. Rather than open a greenfield office in Melbourne, it merged with Martin & Martin in 1989.

The new Victorian arm opened in Collins Street, Melbourne. It was immediately impacted by the 1989 airline-pilots’ strike, forcing partners to arrive on everything from Thai Airways 747s to RAAF Caribou transports.

2016 – Strengthening Regional Governance Across the Network

The Victorian office formalised its own governance structure to better align with state-based regulatory requirements, government panels and compliance frameworks. The objective was clear: empower local leadership while remaining connected to national capability.

That model reflects the broader structure of the Hunt & Hunt Legal Group — a network of established regional firms operating with local autonomy and national collaboration.

Today – Local Roots, National Reach

Today, Hunt & Hunt operates as a network of regionally embedded practices across Victoria, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland. The group’s strength lies in the depth of its local offices, where decision-making remains close to clients and grounded in the realities of each jurisdiction. Taken together, those practices form a nationally capable legal group shaped by more than a century of insurance, commercial and government expertise.

Melbourne

Hunt & Hunt Victoria is a well-established Melbourne practice advising local governments, corporate clients, private businesses and not-for-profit organisations across a broad range of commercial and regulatory matters.

Grounded in the Victorian legal and regulatory environment, the office works collaboratively across the broader network when matters extend beyond the state.

Sydney, Griffith and Newcastle

In 2025, Hunt & Hunt NSW merged with Sydney firm Hicksons, significantly strengthening its capability across government, insurance, health and workers’ compensation clients.

Later in 2025, the merged firm announced an alliance with another Sydney firm, Holman Webb, a firm with significant strengths across the insurance, commercial (including disputes) and insolvency sectors.

Darwin

Hunt & Hunt Darwin has long been a cornerstone of the group’s insurance and litigation capability.

With deep experience in workers’ compensation, public liability,  employment, family and wills & estates  matters, the Darwin office is known for practical, court-tested expertise in a jurisdiction where commercial realities differ markedly from the southern states.

Its Territory grounding, combined with national insurance capability, allows it to manage complex cross-border matters while maintaining strong local relationships

Brisbane

In Queensland, the group’s capability is strengthened through its association with SJR Commercial Law, a Brisbane-based firm with strong commercial and property credentials.

SJR brings depth in corporate advisory, property, commercial disputes and regulatory matters, supporting clients operating in Queensland’s dynamic commercial environment.

The relationship reinforces the group’s east-coast coverage, ensuring clients can access responsive local advice with national coordination where required.

Perth

Western Australian capability is delivered through network partner Culshaw Miller Lawyers, headquartered in Perth.

Formed in 2012 through the merger of established WA practices, Culshaw Miller provides commercial, property, employment, estates, disputes and family law services across the state.

Through the Hunt & Hunt Legal Group and its international alliance with Interlaw, Culshaw Miller connects WA-based expertise with national and cross-border matters, particularly in resources, projects and commercial litigation.