While he is a country lad at heart, Robert Murphy has spent the last twenty years delivering some of Melbourne’s most exciting developments as part of the SMA Projects team. During that time, he’s worked closely with the UPco team on countless occasions and is certainly someone we now count as a friend! We sat down with Robert to learn a bit more about how his career has unfolded, and what he’s learnt along the way.

Let’s start at the very beginning… how did a country kid end up developing big scale projects in the city?

My dad was a builder, so that definitely had an influence on me growing up – I always envisaged following in his footsteps. I’d also seen my two older brothers move into building-related jobs after school; one as a Project Manager and the other as a Carpenter. So when I finished Year 12, I decided to study Construction Management at uni in Geelong. To be honest, I went into the course not really having a clear idea of what I’d do afterwards – and by the time I graduated, I’d decided to move to Melbourne as this was where most of the job opportunities were. It was a huge change and quite a daunting and stressful time; not only was I living in the city for the first time, but I also moved in with my girlfriend (now wife) – a lot of new things to get used to.

I thought it could take a while to find a job but I was lucky to be offered a role at SMA Projects pretty quickly. Back then, there were only three of us on the team, so I got the chance to figure out my own way of doing things, which was a great opportunity for me as a 21 year old. Of course, over time, the business grew and so did the scale and frequency of our developments. This gave me the chance to become involved more in the development side of things, rather than the construction part, so I ‘grew up’ with the company in a sense. I really enjoy the challenges that development presents and I’m probably more suited to it; it’s more strategic and less confrontational.

When did you first encounter the UPco team?

Amanda Ring and the rest of the UPco team (which was then SJB Planning) were already working with SMA back when I joined the business. Over the years, I think I’ve worked with pretty much every planner at UPco in some way, shape or form. These days, Dave Hickey is our daily go-to man and is across the detail of all our current and future projects; he is a great operator and is a good fit for our team

What has been the most memorable project you’ve been involved with?

Between 2011 and 2015, SMA Projects undertook a project known as the Yorkshire Brewery in Collingwood. It involved restoring a forgotten Melbourne landmark (once the tallest building in the city), which had lain dormant for many years. From a development manager perspective, we had plenty of challenges to deal with like scale, complexity and timing. This meant that co-ordinating the flow of information throughout the project team was extremely important.

UPco’s advice, recommendations and experience were invaluable in the planning phase of that development and, upon reflection, I don’t think we could have been as successful without them. We spent so much time with UPco on a day-to-day basis calibrating our approach, they became more like colleagues than consultants. The friendships that were formed during that time endure today, as does the sense of trust we established.

Looking back on the last two decades, what has changed in the development space? And what’s stayed the same?

I suspect that approvals are becoming more and more complex and conservative to achieve, and I would say there is less urgency to reverse that trend. It does seem to take longer to get projects off the ground. On the flip side, I think the success of a project (and a business) still comes down to relationships. That definitely hasn’t changed. For me, the relationships I build with the next generation coming into our industry are especially important. When someone is young and ambitious, it really pays to give them opportunities to cut their teeth, and plenty of respect and support. When people are treated well, they tend to really try their best and remain loyal, and that’s invaluable.

Any current projects you’re excited about?

We’re actually about to launch one called The Regent in Fitzroy, and it’s really something special. It’s only 65 apartments, so it’s much smaller than our typical residential developments, but it’s super premium. A lot of work went into this one, and it was tricky managing competing objectives to get an outcome that was of the calibre we wanted. But we got there, and I’m proud of the result we achieved to date. The display suite is amazing, one of the best I’ve ever seen, it gives buyers a really immersive experience right down to the finer details.

And what about life outside work?

My wife and I have four boys of primary school age, which obviously keeps us pretty busy! And we’re fortunate to have some family land in western Victoria, where we try to spend a fair bit of time. We have around 500 ewes and lambs on the property, and there’s always something to do and learn there. It’s great for the kids to go out to the farm and test their resilience with sheep work.

Finally, what’s one piece of advice you’d like to share? Something that’s been invaluable to you?

Hmm, I actually have a few. First one is this: don’t try to have every future step worked out when trying to reach new heights, approach it one step at a time. Stay positive and don’t worry about the things you can’t control. And don’t underestimate the power of being underestimated – it can work in your favour! Just play to your strengths and look for opportunities in the strengths of others.

To learn more about SMA Projects, visit smaprojects.com.au

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