Legend of Queensland agency game passes away

Described as a 'quiet achiever' and 'true gentleman', Don Steele AM died on Tuesday evening after giving so many years of his life to the livestock and agency game.

Noel Grant, formerly of GDL, worked alongside Mr Steele for many years when he was president of the Queensland Livestock and Property Agents Association.

He said the industry was much poorer with the news of his passing.

"Don's integrity was beyond reproach," Mr Grant said.

"He was one of the most genuine people, who was always polite in his dealings with everybody.

"One of his great strengths was his amazing memory and attention to detail.

"He never forgot a name, no matter where you hailed from, and had a lovely way to make people feel very special."

NSW stock and station agent Dick Cameron, now of Willow Tree, NSW was the inaugural president of the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association and said Mr Steele was one of the key figures in the establishment of ALPA.

"He enthusiastically endorsed the concept of a national agency industry organisation and worked tirelessly to see it established," Mr Cameron said.

"The universal respect which Don commanded throughout the agency industry and the broader livestock industry accelerated ALPA's formation.

"Don's ongoing support of ALPA was instrumental in many other sectors recognising ALPA as a legitimate national industry organisation, such was his standing in the rural community.

"He was a very fine man for whom I had the greatest respect."

Mr Steel took over administration of the then Queensland Livestock, Property and Produce Brokers Association as well as the Brisbane Woolbrokers Association and the Queensland Livestock Exporters Association in 1981.

He ran these organisations for many years until the Brisbane Woolbrokers Association was wound up in 1996 when all wool auctions moved south, after which he continued running the agents and exporters associations.

A major development in the early 1990s was expansion of the Queensland agents association to include private agents and become the Queensland Livestock and Property Agents Association.

ALPA, a national organisation, was put forward in 2003 and finally formed on July 1, 2004.

Mr Steele started his agency career with the Pastoral House Australian Estates on January 2, 1947, serving first as a merchandise clerk, then in various positions including branch accountant and in the rural lending and advances section.

He transferred to the Brisbane office of Australian Estates in 1965.

Upon his Brisbane posting Mr Steele was put in charge of rural lending, then became company secretary in 1970 and assistant State manager a couple of years later.

When state manager Bill Buising took ill in 1974, Mr Steele was appointed state manager and in 1978 CSR offered him the post as general manager of the Estates agency division.

He accepted the job on two conditions, first that the head rural division head office would be moved to Brisbane from Melbourne, and secondly on the basis of an assurance that CSR had no intention of disposing of the agency business.

Unfortunately to his great regret about two years later Australian Estates sold the agency business to AML&F, which was subsequently taken over by Elders.

He elected to resign from Elders in 1981.

At the time he was retained by CSR to advise them on the disposal of their remaining rural property portfolio in a series of highly successful auction sales.

At the time of its takeover by CSR in 1974, Australian Estates had one of the better property portfolios ever assembled, stretching from the Northern Territory through Queensland and down to southern NSW.

Great Merino studs such as Terrick Terrick at Blackall and Raby and Oolambeyan in NSW were included in the mix, plus signature properties such as Thylungra at Quilpie, and Millungera near Julia Creek.

The company also owned three sugar mills, Pleystowe at Mackay, Kalamia at Ayr and Haughton mill at Giru - which were a prime target for the sugar milling giant CSR.

Among the many accolades bestowed upon Mr Steele was his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006.

At the time he humbly acknowledged it to be an "award to the industry as well as to Don Steele".

Mr Steele has seen and weathered many ups and downs in rural industry, some of the worst being the beef cattle price slump from 1974 to 1978, when prime bullocks were selling for as low as $17/head, as well as the severe wool price slump when the stockpile of unsold wool reached several million bales.

As a young man of 20, he married Marjorie Watson in Rockhampton and a year later their first daughter Margaret was born, followed by a second daughter Robyn two years later.

The couple had been married for 55 years when Marjorie died in 2004.

His daughter Margaret said the passing of their father has left an enormous hole in their lives.

"Our dad was the very best that anyone would want in a father, grandfather great grandfather and great, great grandfather," she told Queensland Country Life.

"Apart from his unconditional love, he was supportive, generous to a fault, encouraging, patient, kind and gentle and wise - and always available," Margaret said.

"Not only that, he modelled for us the characteristics of integrity, diligence and faithfulness, in all he did.

"In return he was unreservedly adored by all of us."

Mr Steele is survived by his two daughters Margaret and Robyn, nine grand children, 25 great grand children and two great, great, grand children.