Celebrities, chefs, sports stars and politicians share the last photo on their camera roll before COVID forced SA into lockdown
What did your life look like before COVID plunged SA into lockdown? We asked local identities to share the last photo on their camera roll before the big shutdown. Share yours.
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One year on from when the world changed irrevocably, we asked local identifies, sports stars and community leaders to share the last picture on their camera roll before lockdown was announced on March 24 2020.
Send us the last photo on your camera roll before the COVID-19 pandemic plunged SA into lockdown on March 24, 2020.
Jane Doyle, 7NEWS Adelaide Presenter
This pic was taken on March 24th 2020 and represents the frustration felt by so many when lockdown came in. Our two West Highland White Terriers Hamish and Fergus had been walk-less for much of the month thanks to a hectic Adelaide Festival and Fringe schedule, so weren’t too pleased when lockdown came in and they had to remain largely housebound. I vividly remember the eeriness of the final night of AF20 with the Premier attending the final performance and everyone aware life as we’d known it was about to change. Fast forward 12 months and we’ve been relatively lucky. SA is one of the few places in the world able to safely hold a major arts festival, the weather’s been glorious and with vaccinations underway, it feels like we’re heading towards the light at the end of a long and difficult tunnel.
Actor Hugh Sheridan
We had no idea what we were in for, this photo was on the final day of Fringe, who could have predicted that arts venues and festivals across the globe would have their capacities halved, quartered and then be forced to close their doors. The fact individual households could not have anyone other than their immediate family in many countries told a grim story. A month ago I was so worried about the possibility of border closures and the simple fact that my six dancers and production team may not have the opportunity to see my new show HUGHMAN actually come to life. Looking back, I am so incredibly proud of my home state, we have jumped hurdles to put on one of the most successful Fringe Festivals, the biggest arts festival in the world, it is testament to be people of Adelaide.
Brenton Ragless, Nine News presenter
I guess it was a fitting prelude to the pandemic – my last ‘unrestricted’ outing with my brother, visiting from Canberra. I wouldn’t see him again until Christmas. He was here for the Adelaide Festival and we’d bought tickets to wander the spectacular ‘Fire Garden’ from French Artist, Compagnie Carabosse at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. It was a balmy Thursday night in March, and the city’s East End was heaving with people making the most of the festival’s last few days. It was a warm, welcoming and memorable atmosphere – ideal for peaceful, unrushed conversation – and we made every minute of the event until close.
Early the next day, everything changed. A similar size crowd to the one we’d just experienced were turned away from the gates of the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix – cancelled due to COVID concerns. That afternoon, Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation to announce the first wave of restrictions and ‘social-distancing’ became the norm. Within a matter of days, legal crowd sizes were reduced, businesses shut their doors and the borders closed.
Those 24 hours will stay with me forever.
Port Adelaide player Xavier Duursma
“This photo (taken March 19) showed I was living normally and seeing my mates before the coronavirus outbreak. I thought it would be a normal year and I would be able to see them heaps but this was the last time I saw them for almost nine months. By March 24th, I was back in Victoria living in a caravan at my parents’ property because we played our Round 1 game on the Gold Coast and were informed upon our return that we had to isolate. I was able to get to Victoria to complete my two weeks in isolation there.
The change hasn’t been easy. The travel restrictions have limited me being able to see my family and friends but that is how the world is now and we just have to deal with it and enjoy the time I get to spend with my friends and loved ones more.
Adelaide 36ers player Jack McVeigh
This photo was taken of Beth and me on one of the many beautiful walks in Adelaide. It was our third or fourth date, and I was a little nervous and blissfully unaware of the events about to occur around the world. The NBL season had just finished, and I was planning a well-needed trip home to Cabarita Beach to see my family and attend my best friend’s wedding, plus all the fun adventures that our NBL off-season allows. With borders shutting, toilet paper running out, and unable to work like so many Australians, it was a scary time. With that in mind, spending the year in Adelaide building relationships (Beth and I are going amazing), friendships, and working on myself, this experience helped me grow and develop in ways that have benefited my life forever. Although tough for many, I’m extremely grateful for so many people and experiences in the past 12 months.
SAFM breakfast presenter Rebecca Morse
This photo was taken at Middleton on March 22. That weekend COVID saw the cancellation of a wedding and a surf lifesaving competition so we decided to head south and escape some of the fear that had started to grip people. Frankie was very excited to find a local coffee van named after her. The following week we started broadcasting the SAFM breakfast show from home and everything changed.
Tasting Australia food curator Darren Robertson
This is the last pic I took, on 24th March. It’s of Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay. We had just had a cook up for the staff. We sat everyone down and explained that we would have to close the following day. We had food (Curries and farm veggies), drinks, shared a few tears, packed down the restaurant and eventually left. That was a very long drive home. As the realisation of what had just happened began to sink in. Hands down the heaviest working days I’ve ever experienced. I went home, cracked a beer, sat on the step outside and stared into space. The restaurant remained closed for the following weeks. We then slowly began to open, with a handful of staff, serving coffee, bread and a pasty or two. Like most other restaurants at the time we then did whatever we could do to keep the wheels turning, to help our staff and suppliers. Home meals, take away options, fried chicken pop ups, produce boxes – you name it, we tried it! Slowly, locals returned and with that our offering increased. It was like starting a new restaurant again from scratch. Many in other states have had it a lot worse than us. I’m bloody grateful we’re still operating today. And hope this never goes down again for any of us.
Tasting Australia chef Emma McCaskill
This photo was taken on Friday 20th of March. I had just launched a home delivery menu. My dad was managing an emergency department on the frontline. Reality kicked in that my dad and other frontline workers were about to gamble their own health to look after other people. I wanted to do something to acknowledge their work. We decided to offer frontline health care workers a free meal on the Friday. There were hundreds of scrubs, ambo’s, nurses and doctors who picked up their delivery with such gratitude. COVID made me start to think of ways to give back to people through food.
7NEWS weekend presenter Rosanna Mangiarelli
This photo was taken March the 22nd, 2020, the day Police Commissioner Grant Stevens declared a Major Emergency. As the walls started closing in on us, and fear and confusion reigned, my husband and I tried very hard to keep cool with our three children. Not knowing how long the lockdown would last nor the length of time our borders would stay closed, we found a new appreciation for our freedom and our own backyard. We regularly took them for walks and bike rides along Linear Park as they peppered us with questions. “What’s coronavirus?” “Will we die from it?” and then perhaps the most asked question, “Why are none of our friends going to school?” Thankfully, SA’s outstanding handling of the major emergency prevented a major disaster. We’ll forever be grateful for how local authorities responded and that the pause taught us to never forget how lucky we are to live in SA.
Paolo Sebastian couturier Paul Vasileff
My last photo is from our Paolo Sebastian runway show at Melbourne Fashion Festival 2020. I returned to Adelaide straight after the show and went into isolation for two weeks due to a COVID-19 scare at MFF. What seemed crazy at the time became normal for the rest of the year.
SA Premier Steven Marshall
This was taken with my son Charlie and Dr Susan Nugent at the Royal Croquet Club. It’s because of the hard work of every single South Australian that we have been able to hold the Fringe, Festival and WOMAD this year. With much of the world still struggling with COVID-19, here in SA, we have been able to enjoy some of the worlds best festivals which has helped keep our economy strong and created local jobs.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas
This photo was taken at my local The Brompton Hotel on the last day before pubs and other hospitality venues closed.
My wife Annabel and I took our kids, Sophie and Jack, out for dinner to help support a local business facing a very uncertain future.
None of us knew what lay ahead in the days, weeks and months to follow.
The silent heroes of the COVID crisis are the small business owners who shut their doors and the workers who gave up their incomes in order to keep everybody else safe.
We now owe it to them to rebuild our economy so their businesses can thrive and workers can get their jobs back.
As we enter a post-COVID recovery phase, my focus is on the ideas and the vision which will lift South Australia off the bottom rung of having the worst unemployment rate in Australia.
Health Minister Stephen Wade
A year ago today, our international borders slammed shut. As hospitals across the world were flooded with the sick and dying, South Australia’s health team was busy preparing to deal with the first wave here. We all quickly learnt how to stay safe.
For my cats, Hodge (far) and Lily (near), social distancing came naturally.
As long days became longer and more stressful, then more than ever, my home, with my family and pets, became my sanctuary.
In the face of the pandemic, our South Australian community and our health heroes have shown that they are world class.
SA Weekend editor Paul Ashenden
We were stuck on a mountain in the Himalayas when the world changed 12 months ago. Trekking mate Ryan Cox took this photo about 5600m above sea level from the top of Mount Kalapathar and it’s now in my phone’s camera roll as a favourite from that trip in March last year. The sun is rising behind Mount Everest, the dark mountain jutting up from behind two closer mountains. A few days after this picture was taken, we were in Kathmandu desperately searching for flights as Nepal, and the world, shut down.
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