Plans are underway to have a laneway named after St. Kilda resident, the late Rowland S. Howard.
Rowland S Howard
Howard was the guitarist with iconic Australian bands The Birthday Party/Boys Next Door with Nick Cave from the late 70s. He passed away in 2009 after a battle with cancer.
Howard wrote ‘Shivers’ at the age of 16 when he was with The Young Charlatans. The song was released later by Boys Next Door who soon after changed their name to The Birthday Party. When it was covered by The Screaming Jets in the late 80s it became a national hit in Australia.
City of Port Phillip councillor Serge Thomann has confirmed plans int eh early stages to name a lane in Rowland’s honor. “I have been asked this week how a lane without name could get a name as a few people in the St Kilda music scene would like a lane between Jackson and Eildon Road named after Rowland S. Howard and if I would support it,” he tells Noise11.com.
The official request is still to be presented to council. “I would support it of course, but the decision is made by the City of Port Phillip staff, not by the Councillors,” he says.
To officially start the process at least 10 residents needs to make the request. Music promoter Nick Haines is driving the process.
Councillor Thomann says that this is in early stages and hopefully it will happen.
Rowland died on December 30, 2009.
In October 2011, filmmaker Richard Lowenstein (Dogs In Space) released the 110-minute documentary Autoluminescent about the life of Rowland S. Howard.
