Get to know Jane Campbell

Born and bred in Melbourne’s north-west, Frank Dowling director Jane Campbell knows – and loves – her chosen neighbourhood.

I grew up in Strathmore and my family moved to Essendon when I was about 11, so you could safely say I’ve been here my whole life.  I went to school at St Vincent’s Primary in Strathmore then Lowther Hall in Essendon. As an adult I’ve loved travelling, but I’ve always wanted to come back to this area. It’s where my friends and family are, and it’s just a beautiful part of Melbourne.

I didn’t always plan to go into real estate.  My father, Andrew Lonzi, started Frank Dowling Real Estate in 1976. I knew he was good at it because he came from Italy with nothing and built it up from scratch. I finished high school and wanted to take a gap year before university and dad said, ‘You’re not doing a gap year, you’re coming to work with me’. I started in reception and absolutely loved it.

I answered phones for a couple of years then moved to Property Management.  I ended up buying into the business in 2006. I’ve just become a director, which is an exciting move. I’m basically the business development manager. If there’s a problem to be solved it’s down to me. I love the challenges involved in the day-to-day running of the agency.

Real estate to me is about family and the importance of relationships.  Frank Dowling is my family’s agency and we’ve built it up to what it is today. In the same way I see our job as helping our clients realise their dreams; when we do that they can become like family, too. This morning I had a happy vendor come in to give me a thank-you card. Things like that really make my day.

I live in Essendon with my husband, Joel and our two kids Evie, 9 and Jude, 8.  They both go to St Monica’s primary school in Moonee Ponds, and Joel is in advertising. We live just around the corner from my dad in an Edwardian home we’ve only recently finished renovating. It was a five-year dream from buying the house to walking back in after sharing a little unit while the build was being done. To finally be back in our house and able to stretch out a bit is such a good feeling. It gives us a real sense of achievement, although we still have to finish the landscaping!

Most weekends in summer you’ll find us at the beach at Cape Patterson.  Winters are usually full of footy, Jude plays for the Panthers down at Walter Reserve. We have really missed footy friends this year with the Corona Virus. For coffee we’ll head down to the North Essendon shopping strip – usually Max’s Corner. And Sunday nights we always grab pizza with my dad at Italy 528 in Ascot Vale. It’s good pizza, with the added bonus that I don’t have to do the washing up.

Frank Dowling sponsors the Ascot Vale Panthers football team.  Jude is playing for them now, and Joel was supposed to be coaching this year but will take up the role again next year. We also support the Strathmore & Flemington cricket  clubs & the Strathmore Netball club, as well as a number of other clubs in smaller ways. When you’re in real estate, you’re part of a community. We always remember where our heart is.