Iconic Adelaide venue The Governor Hindmarsh, better know as The Gov, has been saved from going under thanks to a funding lifeline dropped by the South Australian State Government.
$1 million in funding has been announced for the state’s music industry, and The Gov stands to receive $300,000 of that to help sustain its operations amid the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of gigs in Australia.
The funding package is set to reach a wide range of music venues throughout South Australia, as well as helping artists who are doing it tough without touring revenue.
“Thrilled to announce a $1 million package to support SA’s live music industry,” said Minister for Innovations and Skills, David Pisconi in a Facebook post.
“SA’s music industry contributes $170 million to our economy and employs more than 2,300 people, that’s why the Marshall Government is amping up the live music scene with this funding injection for musicians and businesses.
“Recognising the unique place that The Gov has in Adelaide’s live music ecosystem, we’ve also announced targeted support for the venue as part of the $1 million package.”
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The Gov’s Melissa Tonkin, whose family turned the venue into a legendary Adelaide spot over 27 years, told The Adelaide Review the past few months have been “absolutely awful.
“Just the pressure of seeing the virus spread around the world, and at the same time bands started cancelling and moving dates. We shut our doors overnight, our income stopped but we had mountains of bills. It was really hard to comprehend – at last count we’ve had 105 bands to date who have cancelled or rescheduled.”
She explained that while the Federal Government’s JobKeeper payments have been helping to support The Gov’s staff, ultimately bills continue to come in. “Just because your income stops, doesn’t mean the bills stop coming in,” she said.
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“It could be a long, rocky road ahead, but this will certainly help smooth the way,” Tonkin added.
Check out West Thebarton performing at The Gov:
