Tributes are flowing for Australian TV producer and iconic SBS presenter Basia Rendall (nee Bonkowski), who died this week after enduring cancer for many years.
John Godfrey, Head of Unscripted at SBS, has expressed condolences on behalf of the broadcaster she called home in the '80s: "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.”
According to a statement released by her family, Rendall passed peacefully on Saturday. Born and raised in Adelaide by her Polish parents, Maria and Jerzy Bonkowski, Basia 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 experience of being confronted with mortality prompted a career rethink, and she switched to Flinders University and an English Literature and Drama degree.
Upon moving to Sydney to pursue a career in television, Basia Bonkowski became the iconic and pioneering host of SBS's own music television shows Rock Around the World and Continental Drift.
She also presented SBS's legendary "Channel 0-28" nightly line-up (in the style later parodied by comedian Marg Downey on the Seven Network's Fast Forward)
To underscore her cultural impact in the 1980s, Aussie pub rock band, Painters and Dockers, wrote a song about her, aptly named ''. The song was a paean to her ultra-cool presentation style on SBS, and contained lyrics such as, "She's sitting there with her multi-coloured hair / She's sitting there with that multi-cultured stare"
Throughout her career, Bonkowski/Rendall also hosted music videos for Network 10 before working behind the scenes as a television writer and producer. Over the last decade she worked as Executive Producer for Screentime and Endemol Shine where she produced RBT for Channel Nine.
In 1982, Basia married director Kimble Rendall (Garage Days, Cut), adopting two children, William and Camille. She 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 undertook the second fight of her life. She had plans for another book and continued working until days before her death.
Seeing a kickearse woman with a Polish surname on TV in the 80s was incredible for lots of teenagers from ethnic backgrounds. RIP Basia Bonkowski
— Fiona Katauskas (@FionaKatauskas)
Rest In Peace our First Lady of Music TV, Basia Rendall (nee Bonkowski).
All who knew you are devastated. Our Buzzy. 💔
Thinking of Kimble, William Camille. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
— Melissa Hoyer (@melissahoyer)
Vale to producer Basia Bonkowski, former host of SBS’s Rock Around The World. As the song goes, better than Donny (Sutherland, host of Sounds Australia), Ian (Molly!) or Lee (Simon, Nightmoves)
— Andrew Stafford (@staffo_sez)
