28 Jan 2026
Words Marissa von Stieglitz Informer

A True Great Northern

I know all my ResortBrokers’ colleagues join me in this fond farewell to Des, who’s sadly hanging up his boots for retirement after more than a decade with us as our Townsville-based broker.

Seeing as I’ve known Des for all that time and because he’s a great mate of mine, I have the honour of writing this tribute.

Actually, this is Des’ second retirement. He came out of his first to join ResortBrokers in 2015, aged in his sixties, taking on a huge territory that covered Townsville to Mackay and out west to Mt Isa.

From day one, he threw himself into the role with the enthusiasm and energy of someone in their twenties and basically lived out of his car as he covered one of ResortBrokers’ largest zones.

But they make ‘em tough in the country. Des is born and bred Gin Gin and started his working life as a sugarcane farmer before ‘retiring’ at 55.

Bored with ‘retirement,’ he and wife Marina bought a management rights business in Townsville, followed by a caravan park at Googarra Beach in Tully Heads, before joining ResortBrokers.

With us, Des became a North Queensland powerhouse, notching up sales of 90 properties worth over $129 million in total over his career. Not many brokers come close to this scale and volume.

Never one to big note himself, Des reckons his success as a broker comes down to genuinely wanting to help people. I’m quoting from the man himself here: “When I see people succeed in their business ventures, it gives me great satisfaction to know I’ve been a part of that.”

Whether it was his unmatched local market knowledge, his reliability (he always calls people back) or his growing fame thanks to frequent news stories of his sales in the Townsville Bulletin, Des left an unforgettable impression on everyone who’s had the pleasure of knowing him over his time with us.

For those of us lucky enough to work alongside Des, he’s been a true team player; always approachable, always with a big broad smile and always willing to help out. A trooper.

Behind every good man is a good woman, and Des is the first to credit Marina for her support, particularly with the admin side of the business. Together, they’ve been an incredible team.

For me personally, Des isn’t just a great colleague, he’s a lifelong mate. And I know I speak for all of us when I say: Des, you and Marina will be deeply missed. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, you Great Northern legend. We’ll catch up soon. END