A driven woman – Robbyn Macdonald

Porsche lover, hiker and community volunteer, Robbyn Macdonald is a multi-faceted woman of many interests and pursuits. She shares the unique story of what drives her.

Porsche lover, hiker and community volunteer, Robbyn Macdonald is a multi-faceted woman of many interests and pursuits. She shares the unique story of what drives her.

Robbyn supports her husband Stuart and two sons Lachlan and Taylor in the family businesses. The first, SMAC Imports, centres on the importation of commercial furniture which is sold through dealers throughout Australia.”We have been very fortunate as a family to travel to many parts of the world sourcing product for sale in Australia. We’ve built up an extensive range from suppliers in Turkey, Italy, Portugal, China and Lithuania, which sell through our dealers,” she said.

This enterprising couple’s other venture, Simply Wines, started importing Spanish wine over 10 years ago after several trips to Spain. What started as a fun hobby has now turned into even more fun, specialising in high-end boutique Australian producers. The couple’s eldest son Lachlan is now the main driver of Simply Wines, which has steadily expanded. He runs an Instagram account @simply.wines, which has now amassed nearly 100K followers. “Lachlan’s great sense of humour has helped tap into a market where being wine-savvy and light-hearted are huge advantages,” says Robbyn. “Whenever we travel, we do have a lot of fun with the IG wine account – it’s amazing how many old cellar doors it opens when a video posted on the account can amass over 300,000 views, but the best part is the fun we have together and friendships gained from all over the world.”

Robbyn is deeply involved with volunteer work, having worked in the past at Lifeline for 11 years as a crisis telephone counsellor, and in training and supporting new Lifeline trainees. For the last 11 years, she has worked extensively with St Kilda Gatehouse, a not-for-profit organisation providing safe spaces for women involved in street-based sex work and young women and girls affected by sexual exploitation.

Robbyn’s involvement really began when she lived in St Kilda many years ago, when she came to know some of the women on the street in passing. After returning to school as a mature-age student later in life, part of her Diploma included a threemonth Outreach program, for which she applied at the St Kilda Gatehouse. Eleven years later, Robbyn is still there.

“St Kilda Gatehouse is an amazing place,” she says. “The Drop-in-Centre is a space of great love and support, warmth and humour, among the harsh reality of life on the street. It is an environment of nonjudgement and support for those tackling complex issues such as childhood trauma, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, poverty, domestic violence, abuse, and social isolation. St Kilda Gatehouse creates a space of belonging and connection, with respect and unconditional acceptance.” g

“We have been very fortunate as a family to travel to many parts of the world sourcing product for sale in Australia. We’ve built up an extensive range from suppliers in Turkey, Italy, Portugal, China and Lithuania which sell through our dealers.”

It’s a lean operation. ”St Kilda Gatehouse is run by a skeleton staff – there is some government funding, local and state, and the organisation also relies on grants and donations,” Robbyn says. “Securing sustainable funding is challenging, particularly since Covid-19. The drop-in centre has been running since 1992, and I feel extremely privileged to be accepted by the women in what is their home.”

Robbyn was recently honoured to receive recognition for her charity work. “I was amazed and really chuffed to be nominated for a Pride of Australia Award, which was really very lovely,” she says. “It was great to have recognition of St Kilda Gatehouse, because I think the more St Kilda Gatehouse is talked about in the community, the more people will learn to understand the trauma and complexities women experience, which may help change the public’s general misconceptions and perceptions around street-based sex work.”

Robbyn draws attention to one of St Kilda Gatehouse’s current fundraising projects. “There’s a fantastic backpack we supply to women who are sleeping rough, which becomes a waterproof swag shelter to sleep in,” she says.

Another of Robbyn’s loves is hiking the Camino.... some might say she’s become a fanatic, having walked numerous Camino routes overseas. Robbyn has walked the Camino de Santiago trail four times, completing her first 900km route back in 2013.

The St Kilda Gatehouse are currently raising funds to supply waterproof swags to those in need.

Last year, Robbyn walked an impressive 2000km in Europe. This involved a 1600km hike from Le Puy-en-Velay in France and then continuing through to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, prior to her walking the 300km Coast to Coast Route in England.

The walking focus stemmed from Robbyn’s charity work. “In 2013, I raised $17,000 for the St Kilda Gatehouse by walking the Camino,” she notes.”If someone had told me I would be back hiking the hills of Europe every year after that, I would never have believed it. All I can say is, it’s a life changing experience and whatever that Camino magic is, it keeps working away on you way after you finish walking it. I now hike overseas every year. To date, I’ve walked the Portuguese route from Lisbon (both coastal and internal), Del Norte right up along the North of Spain, Le Puy-en-Velay, and of course the one that over 300,000 people a year walk, Camino Frances.

“I’ve managed to drag some family and friends along over the years but I highly recommend doing it solo,” Robbyn continues. “It’s an incredible experience of living in the moment, really discovering a country (as well as yourself), and making amazing friends from all over the world.”

Robbyn and her husband proudly identify as die-hard Porsche fans. “I now drive a Macan GTS after owning a Cayenne for a number of years,” she says. “This runs in the family – shortly before I met my husband, he sold his Saab Turbo and bought a Porsche 928 – possibly the reason I married him, but we won’t tell him that. He was recently fortunate enough to do the Porsche Ice Experience in Lapland, which he recommends every Porsche fanatic should try and do once in their life. He has also recently been accepted to be part of the 2022 Peking to Paris Car Rally; unfortunately, his budget doesn’t run to a Porsche!

“What’s not to like about a Porsche? They are amazing – cool, beautiful, and lovely to drive. They are a special car, and I always love slipping into mine and roadtripping … even if it’s just around the block for a coffee!

“Apart from driving to the Surf Coast every weekend before the lockdown, we often took the Porsches to the Twelve Apostles,” Robbyn says. “We obviously enjoy taking them both out for spins, because there’s nothing like going around the Great Ocean Road in a Porsche – especially in his 997 Carrera!”

As members of an active, community-conscious family who enjoys living life in the (very) fast lane, it’s no wonder Robbyn and her husband see their Porsches as a perfect reward for hard work.

To learn more about the St Kilda Gatehouse or to donate to the Swag fundraising project, visit www.stkildagatehouse.org.au and follow the links. •