b'CHAPTER 03THE KENNARD BROTHERS | 23NEED IT?A MUTUAL ACQUISITIONIt was at a friends twenty-first birthday that Andy metof years before purchasing their first house in Mosman Prue Larnach. He asked her to dance and Prue impressedfor $16,800. Although they renovated the house,him with her moves. They danced all night. Despite herthey have remained in Mosman to this day. being from the eastern suburbs and he from the North Shore, they hit it off. Prue came from a fair-dinkumIts this unionand the resulting four children and familyher mothers side co-owned the sales armfourteen grandchildrenthat Andy describes as his of Akubra. Unlike Andy, Prue was a good student andgreatest achievement. Shes been my sounding board majored in Psychology and Indonesian and Malayanfor as long as Ive been in the business, he says. Studies, and also studied Anthropology. Brains as wellas beauty! Andy is immensely proud of the business, the reputation Kennards Hire has gained, and the opportunities he Andy and Prue shared a love of cycling, dancing,has been able to provide for others. But he is the first and long days at the beach. Eventually, once Andyto acknowledge that he couldnt have done it alone. completed his year of bumming around Europe, theyAndy values and appreciates people above all else. mutually decided they wanted to make it permanent.Kennards Hire may have all the systems, the properties, There was no getting down on one knee, Andy says.the equipment and the finance, but it is the people who We just decided one evening in the front seat of a ute.have made, and continue to make, the family-owned They became engaged in June 1965, and married onbusiness what it is today.30April 1966, renting a flat in Neutral Bay for a couple Andy is immensely proud of the business, the reputation Kennards Hire has gained, and the opportunities he has been able to provide for others. But he is the first to acknowledge that he couldnt have done it alone.'