By 1961, the pioneering days were over. To Australian eyes, Transfield proved to be a remarkable success story. In 1966, Sydney's daily, The Mirror, admiringly branded Belgiorno-Nettis "the £10 million dynamo", the Italian migrant who "turned £1,500 into £10 million in nine years".
However, success came at a price. Long working hours, stress, pressure to achieve, to be on the winning side, were the norm. As Belgiorno-Nettis put it, "Australia has given me the chance to do well, but in business my trust goes to no one... We are in a business that is a constant struggle. When you build on the scale we do, everything is a gamble. You are on the edge of a razor".
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