In 1998, after a couple of years as a carpenter on commercial projects, I met Steve O’Ryan and started working for Bellevarde in the Snowy Mountains.

I must have done OK because when the job ran out, they asked me to move to Sydney to work on the Archer House at Whale Beach. I leapt at it.

With my background in carpentry, I naturally gravitated towards formwork. The site management at Bellevarde encouraged me to focus on it. It is precision work and often very complex. It’s a great challenge—especially on days when the winds are so strong that you can’t run a string line. It has to be millimetre-perfect, parallel, square, plumb, and true, and I make sure it is. Doing high quality formwork meant I was in demand for some of the the toughest and most prestigious Bellevarde projects.

With Bellevarde, I’ve got to work on some important jobs with great people who love what they do. Early on, I moved around a lot—sometimes I was a Leading Hand, sometimes a worker, whatever needed doing. These days I can turn my hand to just about anything so I’ve become a full time Leading Hand. I also have the privilege of overseeing younger guys coming through and passing on my knowledge. It’s great knowing our work will continue.

It’s been satisfying to learn from and work with some of the finest builders in the business as well as amazing architects and clients. You figure out how to do things better, the Bellevarde Way, the best way possible. We’re always improving and learning what it means to work more effectively together.