SteelStorage

Alan Rowell was at his happiest when on Brisbane’s Moreton Bay sailing or fishing. He was raised in Brisbane and then travelled to Europe for many years where he met his wife.

 

They moved to South Africa where Alan studied Accounting. It was there that they grew the family having two daughters, Kim and Jane, who continued to be the most important part of Alan’s life.

 

The family moved back to Brisbane where Alan had met John Dowling, who was to later play a big part in Alan’s life.

 

They moved to Port Douglas in North Queensland where he and his partner, David Smart, owned the ships Chandlery.

 

After his marriage breakdown Alan returned to Brisbane and was reunited with John Dowling who asked Alan to become the GM and develop his family’s companies as he was losing a long battle with cancer.

 

Alan took the Dowling Group to various parts of the world, including USA, Solomon Islands and the UK, in businesses from brewing, oil wells, self storage, property development, share trading, plastic pipe manufacturing and Pastoral Holdings.

 

Most of these ventures were successful and Alan worked and introduced Steve Dowling to the company to which Steve runs today.

 

Alan spent most of his time in the UK with his partner Jean. He was a member of the Steel Storage Europe Board and guided this organization through its early days of development.

 

He spent his last four months living at Noosa in Queensland with his partner Jean, brother Ray and sister-in-law Denise.

 

He prepared well for his final day and his daughters were with him at the time.

 

His ashes will be spread in two places; in his garden in the UK and Moreton Bay off Brisbane. They were his last “practical” instructions.

 

Those who worked with Alan in the self storage industry in the UK will gather in July to remember him. He was a great help and a much respected figure in the industry. He will be missed.