Commenting on the story: Curtain set to fall on Bakehouse Theatre

Devastating news. The Fringe Festival is a month of intense showcase that is drawn from work throughout the year at venues like the Bakehouse.

It’s not the new owners’ role to be philanthropists but it is certainly the Government’s role to ensure that Adelaide just doesn’t get culture over and done with in Mad March. – Peter Tregilgas

This is yet another tragedy for SA theatre. We desperately need more theatres here, we can’t lose the few we have left.

I wonder what the owners plan to do with it? Why buy a building that is a theatre and turn it into something else? – Shelley Lush

Well, any fule kno that Adelaide needs more apartment buildings and less theatres and other small creative spaces. 

Bakehouse, you are irreplaceable. And the losses will run deep, not just for your shows and for your audiences, but also for the restaurants, cafes and bars in that part of town who share in the economic benefits of your presence. Heck, the ACC might even miss the parking fee income when you go. – Cathy Chua

The Bakehouse Theatre is a beautiful collection of buildings which when I was on the City Council I tried to get heritage listed. But unfortunately these, like the vast majority of proposed listing, were blocked by John Rau.

If the new owners are not extending the Bakehouse Theatre lease and own the adjacent properties, that is an ominious sign that it might all be being planned to be demolished for another anonymous apartment or townhouse development.

The buildings, comprising the 1880s sandstone corner building and 2-storey bluestone stable on Cardwell Street, could readily be restored and  incorporated into a new development of the site.

However without Local Heritage listing I would not be confident of this outcome. – Sandy Wilkinson

Commenting on SA quarantine and Your views, Tuesday July 6: 

SA’s quarantine requirements have moved way beyond a proportionate response to Covid risk.

Like a number of your other correspondents, I’m concerned that grouping the ACT (no locally acquired cases for 362 days, no active cases,) and regional NSW (no active cases) with Sydney is illogical. 

Sydney locked down nearly two weeks ago, so the likelihood of any undetected Covid cases being found hundreds of kilometres away is exceptionally low. However, in comparison to visitors from Victoria (last locally acquired case 7 days ago), anyone returning from the ACT has to self-isolate for two weeks.

In the case of my widowed 80-year-old mother, returning from a family visit in Canberra, that means that she has to stay home alone for two weeks. Surely the physical and mental health risks of her isolation could be reasonably assessed as being far greater than the infection risk she, or other returned ACT visitors, pose to the SA community?

It really is time for SA Health to reconsider their state border requirements, to treat all SA residents returning from interstate equitably and safely. – Carolyn Norrie

Commenting on the story: The art of radio

Excellent article from Kevin Naughton. While he references the magic and lessons of “the good old days of radio” he isn’t stuck in them.

He understands the medium well and the current and numerous missed opportunities. The attitude of the stations appears to be “real meaningful change in the radio landscape is hard – so let’s just leave it as it is.” – David Minear

In matters of innovation in radio in Adelaide, a mention of the original Radio Adelaide (VH-5UV) is warranted. 

Radio Adelaide was established in 1972 with the assistance of a gift of $100,000 from the late Kenneth Stirling, a graduate of the University of Adelaide, and supported by the University. Many will remember its shop-front studios at 228 North Terrace. 

It was the first community radio station in Australia, though modelled in part on VH-2UV, an educational station run by the University of NSW and transmitting on 1750 kHz, so a little tweaking of the tuning range of an ordinary AM receiver was necessary to receive it. 5UV used 531 kHz so no tweaking was necessary and available to all listeners in the greater Adelaide. – Vincent O’Donnell