On the heels of the loss of Melbourne pub The Bendigo Hotel, beloved Adelaide rock venue the Crown & Anchor’s future is in now doubt after a Singapore-based developer lodged plans for a partial demolition and adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed building.
The plans include a high-rise student accommodation on top of the hotel, bringing the future business operations for the pub into question.
While the Victorian-era building cannot be knocked down, the changes would mean the 170-year-old pub would no longer be able to support live music.
“We want to see Adelaide develop and grow, but not at the expense of live music, and it is critical we preserve venues so the next generation of Australian musos can get their start,” said spokesperson Skip on the pub’s Instagram.
Australian alt-rock band The Superjesus was one whose career was launched by The Crown & Anchor – a known locally as ‘the Cranker’.
Sarah McLeod, lead singer of the ARIA-winning band, said the venue gave them their big break in 1994.
“They were the first people to call us back,” said McLeod.
“The demos we sent out were from Eight Step Rail, our first EP. We sent so many around town and the only place that came back to us was Crown & Anchor.”
McLeod went on to stress the importance of having a home for up and coming artists.
“Even though it’s fast becoming one of the most ‘happening’ cities in our country, and now that it’s doing really well, it would be a shame when it’s starting to crank – pardon the pun – to lose a pub that has done so much to support live music.”
Punters were similarly disappointed, wondering how a flourishing venue could be destroyed when there were other buildings in the area already in disuse.
Others lamented the loss of history, with one person admitting, “My own children wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for this place.”
