Page 2047 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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It is fair to say that in the early 70s Jim Murphy saw what was happening in Canberra, and indeed in Australia—that we as a nation were opening up to new ideas and cultures and that wine was growing in popularity. He matched his great head for business with his great love of wine and in 1978 established Market Cellars, operating at the Fyshwick markets. In 1987 he left the staff centre to take on Market Cellars full time.
He established during his career long and lasting friendships with such wine industry icons as Wolf Blass, David O’Leary, Nick Walker and David Morris. He was also part of that informal but elite leadership of the Canberra wine industry that includes such notables as Ken Helm. Over the next 40 years he became an iconic figure in the industry, not only locally but nationally.
His knowledge of wine, acquired largely through self-education and experience, earned him the respect of the industry nationwide. This meant that if Jim Murphy said a Canberra wine was worth stocking, the national industry did not dismiss him as another regional yokel trying to flog a second-rate product—something that was common in the industry in the 80s. They took Jim seriously, and this has been of enormous value to the local wine industry.
Jim Murphy’s reputation and drive saw him play a vital role in the establishment by a major player in the industry, BRL Hardy, of the Kamberra wine complex. Apart from providing a valuable showcase for our local product, it has been instrumental in creating and sustaining some of those 13,000 tourism industry jobs that I spoke of earlier.
In short, Jim Murphy’s influence helped to develop Canberra’s reputation as one of the finest cool climate wine regions in the country, particularly renowned for its shiraz and riesling.
Jim Murphy believed in wine and he believed in business, and he believed in Canberra’s potential in both of these areas. His passionate belief in the ACT’s business potential and the need to pursue emerging opportunities will remain a lasting legacy, and, as such, his influence has extended far beyond the wine industry.
He chaired the Cantrade board to encourage business development in the ACT in a broad range of industries. In this role, as we have heard, he led many delegations to China, often at his own expense and all on his own time. He was instrumental in establishing the Canberra-Beijing sister city relationship and the Canberra-Beijing Business Council. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Canberra business centre at Regatta Point and, as the Chief Minister indicated, provided a personal contribution with that board table. He also secured commonwealth funds for the centre’s construction.
He was instrumental in pulling Canberra out of the 1996 recession, mobilising local business to get involved in helping to address what was a major crisis for our local economy. His efforts ultimately led to the creation of over 1,000 jobs for unemployed youth in our city.
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