A beloved Adelaide pub and live music venue, the Crown and Anchor Hotel, has been saved from demolition after a community campaign advocated to protect the cultural significance of the 171-year-old venue.
Locals rallied together to shield the pub from a new development plan that would leave only the heritage-listed façade behind, with the Save The Cranker campaign, which was backed by Coopers Brewery, culminating in a rally on Sunday 18 August.
Taking the stage at the rally, South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas announced a compromise which would not only save the pub, affectionately known as the Cranker, but make it the most protected pub in South Australia.
On stage, Malinauskas announced his commitment to preserving the Cranker’s use as a live music venue and hotel, stating: “Tomorrow, I’ll be in Cabinet, bringing in a submission to craft a special purpose piece of legislation that we will introduce into Parliament in one weeks’ time that will save the Cranker.”
Later, he explained that his submission will protect the Cranker by bestowing the developer the rights for an accelerated development approval process, allowing them to build a higher student accommodation facility immediately adjacent to the pub site.
“Live music and development can coexist in our city, and what we want do as a Government is make sure we facilitate that, so that everybody wins,” Malinauskas stated.
“The other element is of course trying to provide more protections for live music in our city beyond just the Cranker, and our bill will do that by establishing rules that make it clear – if you want to develop a site next to a pub that plays live music, then you need to factor in that there will be live music in that venue for a long time to come.”
The announcement marks a significant achievement for the campaign, but it does however mean that neighbouring facilities will be impacted, with CBD bar Roxie’s and multi-purpose event space Chateau Apollo now at risk of closure.
Tom Skipper, managing director of the Crown and Anchor Hotel, told Australian Hotelier: “It’s incredibly gratifying to know that the Save The Cranker campaign has achieved its goal. The Crown and Anchor Hotel has been a cornerstone of Adelaide’s live music scene and local culture for over 170 years, so seeing it preserved is a huge relief and a testament to the power of collective action.”
He did, however, also acknowledge that this success comes with significant caveats.
“While the hotel will be preserved, we’re facing a period of transition that includes a temporary relocation and potential pop-up venue setup during the redevelopment phase. This will involve carefully navigating the logistical challenges and ensuring that we maintain the vibrant spirit of the Crown and Anchor in a new format,” he stated.
“We appreciate the ongoing support from our community as we work through these adjustments to keep the essence of the Crown and Anchor alive. However the casualty in all this will be the adjacent venues; Roxies and Chateau Apollo which unfortunately after 12 years in operation succumb to the foreign funded development of student accommodation.”
The power of grassroots campaigns
The continued operation of the Crown and Anchor Hotel will benefit surrounding businesses and Adelaide’s diverse live music scene, but it also demonstrates the power of a united community, as Skipper outlines.
“The success of the Save The Cranker campaign is a powerful reminder of the impact that a united community can have. This effort has shown that when people come together with a shared vision, they can protect and preserve invaluable cultural and historical assets.
“The outpouring of support from local residents, music fans, and businesses underscores the strength of community spirit and the importance of standing up for our heritage. It’s a clear example of how grassroots campaigns can drive meaningful change and ensure that our local culture and history are celebrated and maintained for future generations.”
Patrick Maher, strategy director for the Save The Cranker campaign, says he is proud to have achieved this outcome for the community, and to secure the ongoing future of the Cranker as a live music venue.
“The positive response from the community and from stakeholders has been overwhelming. In less than six months we have had a historic success by securing the ongoing future of the Crown And Anchor Hotel as a live music venue. This is something that hasn’t really happened in Australia before,” he stated.
“Our Save The Cranker campaign was only successful because of persistent hard work, clear communication, and adopting a mature and pragmatic stakeholder engagement and problem solving style.
“We’ve been speaking with stakeholders, the publican, the Government, the Premier, the opposition, the developer, for months. We’ve written tens of thousands of words worth of policy proposals, legislative amendments, State Planning Commission and Heritage Council briefings, and bespoke briefings for each politician we’ve met. The Oversight Board has been on this for 154 days non-stop – it has consumed all our free time and more,” he concluded.