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Vale: Basia Rendall

Producer Basia Rendall, who presented SBS music television shows Rock Around the World and Continental Drift, has died.

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Producer Basia Rendall who presented SBS music television shows Rock Around the World and Continental Drift, has died.

She passed away peacefully in Sydney on Saturday, surrounded by family, following long battles with cancer.

Basia Rendall (nee Bonkowski) was born and grew up in Adelaide. She was one of four children born to Polish immigrants Maria and Jerzy Bonkowski. She attended Cabra College and was attracted to writing and performing from an early age. She studied Law at the University of Adelaide before becoming ill with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 17. The realisation that life is fleeting caused a switch to Flinders University where she majored in English Literature and Drama and met some of her lifelong friends.

After teaching drama she moved to Sydney to pursue a career in television, where she pioneered Rock Around the World and Continental Drift at SBS and presented The Big Byte and evening line-up updates. She also hosted music videos for Network 10 before working behind the scenes as a television writer and producer.

In 1982, Basia married director Kimble Rendall, adopting two children, William and Camille. Basia released “Jesse’s World”, a book about overseas adoption, inspired by their experiences as adoptive parents. She completed a Master of Letters Degree at the University of Sydney in 2006. Her second book, “Shimmer”, based on her mother’s life, was released in 2009.

She was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2021 and battled her health on two fronts, determined to fight for more time. Her lust for life never waned. She had plans for another book and continued working until days before her death

Over the last decade Basia worked as Executive Producer for Screentime and Endemol Shine where she produced RBT for Channel Nine.

Basia is remembered by her friends as formidable, loyal, luminously intelligent and funny. Her standards were high, “a master of life’s small details and a sweet and loving friend.”

Endemol Shine Australia Director of Content, Marty Benson said; “On behalf of everyone at Endemol Shine Australia we are deeply saddened by Basia Rendall’s passing at the weekend. Basia has been an absolute joy to work with. We send our condolences, love and best wishes to her family”.

Nine Head of Production Adrian Swift said, “We were saddened to learn of the passing of Basia Rendall over the weekend. Basia’s contribution to one of the most enjoyed and long running programs on Channel 9, RBT, made it the show it is. The warmth, humour and care she brought is a big part of why the audience embraced the show for so many years. We thank her and extend our sincere condolences to her family at this tragic time.”

John Godfrey, Head of Unscripted at SBS, said, “SBS was saddened to hear of the passing of Basia Rendall, the iconic and much-loved host of SBS’s music TV shows Rock Around the World and Continental Drift in the 1980s.

“Basia entertained and opened up a world of music to Australians, and her passion left a lasting impact on the musical tastes of all who tuned in to watch her.

“We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who loved her.” 

She is survived by her husband Kimble, children William and Camille, brother Janusz Bonkowski and wife Rosemary, brother Edward Bonkowski and wife Felicity, brother Jurek Bergier, cousin Pamela Barnetta, nieces and nephews George, Anna, James, Nick, Krysia and Lauren, and their partners and baby Margaret.

Family would like to heartfully thank the nurses and doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital and Intensive Care Unit.

Updated.

11 Responses

  1. When I saw the headline I thought is that Basia Bonkowski, that is the impact someone like Basia can have all these years later you still remember them. Rock around the world and hosting music video’s on 10 are fond memories for me. Condolences to her family and friends.

  3. Beautiful presenter on screen; a great character – a lovely aura about her. This is so sad. My condolences to her loved ones and her colleagues, mourning her passing.

  5. I worked with Basia on RBT for Channel 9 a few years ago. She was a delight to work with including a sense of humour but a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed.

  7. Many of these older SBS music shows are great. This is a little before my time, though I remember the SBS music shows during 90s weekends. Many of these presenters may not be household names, but they’re certainly acknowledged and known in their local communities for being involved in broadcasting on a national scale.

    Unfortunately ABC hadn’t been able to pick up on these shows for retro months on Rage, and SBS hadn’t added music shows like Alchemy to on demand yet. That’s the problem with the archives is that unless you’re a curator, it’s difficult to know if the content exists or not. It brings the question as to whether there should be more sharing between SBS and ABC for archival purposes, especially for content from before the time SBS had supplementary commercialised revenue reclamation, that would not affect ABC commercial and advertising guidelines.

    1. it would be really cool to be able to see Rock Around the World etc again, i’ve really enjoyed the repeats of Countdown & Rock Arena on Rage. Anyone know exactly what years Rock Around the World & Continental Drift aired? Was not able to tune into 028/SBS much back then even though we had a UHF TV but it was pot luck with the aerial i think.

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