Shelved news station a treasure trove of TV memorabilia
It was home to one of Australia’s last independent televisions stations and the launch pad for many well-known journalists but, after several false starts, Mount Gambier’s iconic WIN studio is now looking to turn a new chapter.
Located on the edge of the world-famous Blue Lake, the studio has stood largely idle since the last local news service aired more than a decade ago and, with two fully equipped production rooms, remains a treasure trove of TV memorabilia.
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“It’s all pretty much what it was like when they stopped (local broadcasting). It’s like they literally stopped and just walked away,’’ said selling agent Tahlia Gabrielli of Ray White Real Estate.
“All the old sets and backdrops are there. The green room is still there.
“Obviously everything is a bit older than what they would use (to broadcast) now but there’s
a lot of history.’’
The Former Win TV Mount Gambier studio has an indelible history, making it a prominent landmark on the Limestone Coast
It is located opposite the Blue Lake.
Much of the Win TV era remains evident, with nostalgic memorabilia dotted throughout and iconic branding on the building’s exterior.
The old production studio.
Originally owned by SE Telecasters, the studio first beamed television into the lounge rooms of those living in South Australia’s South East in 1966, continuing for the next 54 years.
By 1999, SES-8, as it was then known, was one of the last two independent stations operating in Australia before its sale to WIN, which continued broadcasting news bulletins from the Mount Gambier studio until 2013.
Among those who got their start within the local newsroom were former ABC presenter Prue Adams, Channel 9 Europe correspondent Edward Godfrey and 7NEWS Adelaide news director Mark Mooney.
In 2020, WIN sold the studio to a consortium of local and interstate business interests who planned to turn the building into a multi-platform space for creative users, which was welcomed at the time by world-renowned jazz musician James Morrison.
One of the many meeting rooms.
Take a seat and reminisce about to good old days.
Adelaide journalist with Nine, Edward Godfrey, started his career at Win News Mount Gambier. He is pictured here following an attack by Hamas in Israel late last year. Picture: Nine News
Channel 7 Adelaide news director Mark Mooney also started out at the local station.
The studio has changed hands “a couple of times’’ since then, Ms Gabrielli said.
“The current owner is from out of town and they did have lots of ideas for what they were
going to use the space for but their plans have changed, hence the (current) sale,’’ she said.
She said the two-storey studio, which sits on a 2948sqm allotment, would be well-suited to office space or, subject to planning consent, conversion to apartment-style housing or redevelopment.
A cellar door and café currently operate from the studio’s former reception area and Ms Gabrielli said the building, which comes with ample parking, also had potential as an events and function venue.
“It’s a very iconic building and it could be used for a number of things,’’ she said.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of interest in it – whether people are fully interested in purchasing it or (are) just (curious) because of what it is (is unclear).’’
The property is for sale through an expressions of interest campaign that closes Wednesday.
No price guide has been released.
– BY LAUREN AHWAN
