Three technical professionals started Bayside Drafting Australia (now Balpara) in March 1976, working out of a backyard bungalow. Robert Blanche and John Wilson, the two remaining owners, were in their early 20s when they established the business. They credit their youth, enthusiasm and to an extent, naivety, for taking the risk to venture out on their own.

It wasn’t long before recruitment capabilities became critical to the company’s success, as a building boom in Australia generated significant work and created a skills shortage. Robert and John, who both instinctively focused on building strong professional relationships, were good at finding the best people to get the work done, which was noticed by their clients.

“Our recruitment operations officially began when I was asked by a client, 'How can I get a draftsman just like you?' and sourced someone,” says Director, Robert Blanche. “After I placed this person in his business, he asked me to find another, this time with mechanical knowledge. Both contractors stayed for 10 years.” 

Today, we have two recruitment brands - Acclaimed Workforce and Bayside Group.

For us, it’s always been about people

Despite their technical backgrounds, both Robert and John have always enjoyed the people elements of their work the most.

“In hindsight, it isn’t surprising that we ended up in recruitment,” says Director, John Wilson. “We’ve worked with many clients and employees for 10, 20, 30 and even 40 years, which is so rewarding. It’s been a privilege to support people as they grow in their careers, and to help businesses evolve and thrive.”  

Getting to know the professionals in a particular market, what they do and what they’re capable of has always been a key focus of our specialist recruitment teams. This has enabled us to recruit locally and internationally throughout the years. We’ve sent people to remote parts of Australia and across the world for specific projects, and learned from their experiences.

Bayside Group has been fortunate to have talented people contribute to the business over the years. “Many of our senior leaders have been in the company for decades, with their expertise respected by our clients. This is indicative of effective succession planning, and possibly an element of luck,” says Robert. He explains General Managers, Joe Galea and Wayne Eaton, joined the business in 1989 and 1995 respectively and have been integral in building the business to what it is today, “Handing the reins to people with proven capabilities who you trust implicitly is easy.”

Embracing change strategically

If we’ve learned anything from our time in recruitment, change is inevitable. A workplace in 1976 would be unrecognisable and likely unacceptable in today’s standards - you could literally smoke cigarettes at your desk back then!

People, behavioural expectations, job roles, skills, hierarchy and structures, technology, how we collaborate, business processes, employment legislation and organisational culture have evolved exponentially in this time.

We’ve also had to navigate numerous economic downturns, skills shortages, globalisation, offshoring, extensive legislative changes, a pandemic, political instability and so much more.

“We’ve had to adapt quickly, innovate and be strategic in how we’ve embraced change over the years, all while being stringent in how we manage our finances,” explains John. In some instances, Bayside Group has been an early adopter and at other times, we’ve waited to understand the situation better. “Luckily we’ve optimised opportunities to diversify into new ventures with the right opportunity. This has been critical to our success and continuity, as has making difficult decisions to consolidate when required.”

As a specialist recruiter, there is no doubt the recession in the 1990s was our most difficult challenge. Thankfully, Bayside Drafting, as well as a construction arm, was profitable. “Almost two thirds of recruitment branches in Australia disappeared,” explains Robert. “With unemployment above 10% for more than two years and remaining high for much longer, along with high interest rates, it was a tough time for everyone.”

Understanding the markets we operate in, and working closely with our clients has helped us to effectively navigate change and evolve with the industries, clients and candidates we support.

Succeeding together

A young Joe Galea joined the Bayside Group and credits his mentors for encouraging him to be out on site rather than sitting behind his desk. “I learned early that understanding a business and its people is the most effective way to identify issues and develop effective solutions,” says Joe Galea, General Manager. “Working in partnership with our clients has underpinned our service model from the beginning.”

Our partnership with Ford Australia for example, spanned 30 years. It started in manufacturing and slowly transitioned to design as the organisation sought to enhance their design capabilities to win projects. We recruited thousands of local professionals and mobilised 200 engineers and designers from overseas over many years, with the aim of building local capability and having them represent Australia in other design hubs around the world. At one point our workforce at Ford Australia consisted of more than 700 people.

This is just one example of hundreds, explains Joe. Bayside Group has solved problems for our clients relating to safety, compliance, cost management, skill shortages, work readiness, skill levels, training, behaviour, continuous improvement, team dynamics, leadership and more.

“We’re in the people business, which by its very nature is nuanced,” adds Wayne Eaton. “It is therefore essential for us to be able to build trust so that we can have those honest conversations that facilitate better outcomes. We’re here to make it easier for our clients, and I’m proud of the feedback received over the years, suggesting we have done just that.”

Rather than working in silos, our team has always worked together, focusing on long term gains, rather than quick wins. This is why collaborating with industry, regions, clients, candidates and suppliers makes sense to us.

Our founding principles have remained relevant

It is rare that an organisation’s founding principles still reflect who they are 50 years on, particularly when they were developed by people with more eagerness than actual business experience!  Yet our focus on building specialist expertise and long-term relationships was established early, and stuck.

As the jobs got bigger, a third element was introduced; quality and compliance. Our origins in higher risk sectors like infrastructure and construction, gave us an in-depth understanding of safety and risk management. Over time, we played a significant role in raising industry standards for safety, workplace relations and ethics. In fact, the first Recruitment and Consulting Services Association (RCSA) Safety Award was named after the Bayside Group’s first OHS Manager, Malcolm McLean.

“Even now, with the increasing prevalence of AI in so many aspects of work, we continue to ask questions about how it is being used, implementing processes to reduce bias and ensure compliance through ethical checks and balances,” says Wayne Eaton. “We’re also working very closely with our clients to help them manage amendments to workplace safety and Fair Work legislation and monitor compliance,” adds Joe.

This comes back to our vision of “partnering in the future of people”. Both Robert and John believe in this as much today as they did at the beginning. “It has certainly been a journey,” says John. “While we’ve had many challenges, we’ve had more successes and most importantly, a lot of fun along the way.”



“I feel really proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey,” says Robert. “The talent and hard work of our employees and workforce, combined with the trust that our clients have given us, enables us to celebrate our 50 anniversary.”

Learn more about our 50 years here.