INSIDER: SA tops vineyard awards | Where’s the water? | Classic car traffic jam
This week InSider discovers it’s never too late to kick a Vic, enters into debate about the latest street art gracing the city, and inflationary influencers.
Never too late to kick a Vic
It’s touted as the day South Australian football came of age: June 15 1963.
And although the anniversary was yesterday, the InSider didn’t want it to be overshadowed by budget announcements in a salute to the historic team.
Coached by Port Adelaide legend Fos Williams, the state team stunned 59,260 fans at the MCG that day by downing the VFL team 12.8 80 to 10.13 73.
South Australian centre John Halbert (Sturt) recently recounted for the SANFL Budget, saying that SA was not expected to break a losing streak against the Victorians in 1963.
“They were red hot favourites to such a degree that Jack Dyer was asked on television that, if he were coach, what he would say to the players before they went on the ground. He said ‘I would say ‘Enjoy the run’. And then I would go off to the races!!’”
But Halbert wrote that the Victorians had obviously not done their homework because the SA team was made up of a bunch of blokes who had played together on the state team for many years.
“As the siren sounded there was a deathly silence,” Halbert wrote after giving the readers a quarter-by-quarter account.
“Almost 60,000 Victorians stuck dumb!! It was wonderful!! We had confounded the critics. It was a wonderful moment as we gathered together in the centre of the oval to enjoy a very special victory.
“After celebrating in the rooms we all adjourned to Lou Richard’s pub on Flinders Street to remind him of some remarks he had made about our chances before the game, and then to our hotel for a victory dinner.
“When we returned to Adelaide on Sunday morning we were staggered to be greeted at the airport by 8000 supporters who had come to welcome us home, and congratulate us on our wonderful victory.”
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It’s always interesting when a major infrastructure project is announced on a long weekend, so when the latest update on the Adelaide Aquatic Centre in North Adelaide landed at lunch time on Saturday, 10 June, the InSider had all weekend to study the artist impressions of the impressive buildings.
The release listed all the promised facilities – from a 50-metre pool to waterslides and a splash pad – but the visuals had a surprising lack of one element when spruiking a pool: water. Only one of the drawings depicted water. But rest assured, there is an impressive array of solar panels.
Baby shower
There was one announcement that wasn’t timed outside prime time this week. Amidst the flurry of budget announcements this week, Premier Malinauskas managed to share some other important news on his Facebook site – he and his wife Annabel are expecting another baby in November.
It will be a fourth child for the power couple, with the Premier saying their children Sophie, Jack and Eliza are excited about soon having another brother or sister to join their brood.
“Annabel is doing really well, in fact I don’t know how she does it!” Malinauskas reported, winning many thousands of well wishes on his social media site.
What’s French for Stobie pole?
It’s been a flurry of signings for Adelaide author and well-known social media guru Michelle Prak since her outback crime thriller The Rush hit bookshelves throughout the nation.
The story – partly inspired by Prak’s time travelling through remote South Australian landscapes back when she worked with the SA Tourism Commission – is now translated into French with handy footnotes explaining local idiosyncrasies like Stobie poles.
Prak – a past president of the state’s public relations institute – also has created the book’s very own playlist to get readers into the mood, one that may get a whirl in the Sisters in Crime SA group where she is a member.
Rally around
There is no denying South Australia’s love of all things automobile. Even without a manufacturing base, we flock to races and rallies and shows. So it’s no wonder that Michael Neale, the Chair of the annual Bay to Birdwood classic car event issued a warning that if you want to show off your pride and joy this year you better put the pedal to the metal.
“Registrations for the iconic South Australian event opened on 1 June. Within five days close to 50 per cent of places have been booked, with a sold-out parade anticipated within a matter of weeks,” Neale said.
“This eagerness from family vehicle owners through to historic motoring enthusiasts alike demonstrates just how much Australians love this event.”
This year the Bay to Birdwood happens over the weekend of Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October.
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The first stage, for the judging of the Bay to Birdwood Awards, takes place on the Saturday around the museum precinct along North Terrace.
Then on Sunday, more than 1500 historic vehicles will parade from West Beach, along Anzac Highway, through the eastern side of the city up North East Road and into the Adelaide Hills.
Those who coax their jalopies up the hill get to enjoy the celebrations at Birdwood, where the National Motor Museum sits.
Registrations are $75 for a vehicle and $145 if you want the chance to win a prize.
Eye of the beholder
Street art is always going to unite and divide. Not everyone appreciates a Banksy. But the Adelaide subreddit has found two recent murals that probably unite more than they divide on the question of quality. The InSider isn’t an art critic, so will leave it here.
Inflationary influencers
With the economic value of using influencers to promote events in SA still simmering, the local powers-that-be should maybe take advice (or not) from Sweden.
The BBC reports that recent inflation in the Nordic country isn’t only due to disrupted supply chains from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or other macroeconomic events but because Beyonce came to town.
“The start of the singer’s world tour in Sweden last month sparked such a frenzy of demand for hotels and restaurant meals that it has shown up in the country’s economic statistics. Sweden reported higher-than-expected inflation of 9.7 per cent in May. Rising prices for hotels and restaurants were behind the surprise,” the BBC reported.
Maybe Swedish authorities should have listened to Destiny’s Child classic “Bills, Bills, Bills” before booking her.
The Pub Test
In the interest of personal health, the InSider gave their liver a rest this week.
Stuff you should know…
Three of the four trophies given by the Young Gun of Wine vineyard awards went to wineries in South Australia this week, including the top gong.
Taking out the “Old Vineyard of the Year” was Yangarra – High Sands in McLaren Vale for its “collection of bush vine grenache that was planted a year after the cessation of hostilities in World War II”.
“Looking back on the history of this vineyard, it’s interesting to imagine the old vine grenache being farmed with horses back in the day,” says Michael Lane, who farms the fruit made into wine by Pete Fraser.
“This was planted as a block that would need little management, producing fruit destined for old-school fortified wines. We’re so grateful it wasn’t removed during the vine pull of the 80s, and grenache has now made a resurgence as a popular mainstream variety. It’s truly a living part of the heritage of the McLaren Vale region.”
McLaren Vale neighbour Hither & Yon grabbed the “Innovative Vineyard of the Year”.
“We are close to McLaren Flat with two creeks running through the property on what would have been a floodplain at some point in time,” says winemaker Richard Leask.
“This provides lots of large gum trees, and it is where we have planted thousands of natives in our commitment to continually improve the property’s biodiversity. Our vineyard, I would think, is more diverse than any other in the region, with 19 varieties across 23 hectares, it gives us tremendous flexibility and resilience.”
And the “Vineyard of the Year” went to Adelina in the Clare Valley.
“We were told in 2002 to pull the vineyard out and start again,” says Col McBryde, who manages the land with Jennie Gardner.
“We resisted. Wrapped by the Wendouree and Aberfeldy vineyards, the site is steeped in the heritage of Clare and Australian wine folklore.”
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