'Rowland S Howard Lane' Proposal Passes Council

St Kilda's City Of Port Phillip Council last night voted in favour of dedicating a lane to lane Melbourne icon Rowland S. Howard.

A petition on 2,069 signatures prompted the council to discuss the proposal, which would see the lane between St Kilda's Jackson St and Eildon Rd named Rowland S. Howard Lane. In his later life Howard lived on Eildon lane.

A renowned St Kilda identity, Howard was a member of Nick Cave's original The Birthday Party his discordant guitar work is legendary. He died in 2009 at the age of 50, shortly after he cancelled a performance at Sydney's Homebake festival.

Local live music campaigner Jason Evans told theMusic.com.au today, “The naming of the laneway to Rowland S. Howard Laneway is fitting and no doubt the family and close friends are stoked.

"Congratulations should go to the lobbyists lead by Nick Haines for the hard yards. Hopefully now the Council will put some public toilets nearby so the Rowland S. Howard laneway does not smell like the Rowland S. Howard urinal."

Today SLAM's Helen Marcou welcomed the councillors' decision, telling theMusic, “Rowland S Howard was a poet, musician and master of feedback. He threw out the rule book, created his own sound and aesthetic.

"You can hear references to his sound and see his style in band rooms everywhere. Post punk music put St Kilda on the world map and Rowland was the soul of St Kilda's post punk.”

A documentary film based on his life Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard, was released in 2011.

Comment has been sought from the Mayor's office.

With the proposal now approved members of the public have 30 days to lodge a submission, with an ad to be placed in a local paper inviting such reactions. Council will now apply to the Registrar of Geographic Names for approval to name the lane.