Vale John Pinder

Renowned for his support of Australian comedy and circus, and closely involved with multiple festivals, Pinder passed away on Tuesday.
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Photo via Facebook

John Pinder, who opened Australia’s first comedy cabaret venue The Flying Trapeze Café in Melbourne in the early Seventies, died early this morning. He was 70.

His death was announced on Facebook today by his partner Dasha Ross: ‘Early this morning John slipped away freed from the suffering and pain his cancer had caused him. He was so peaceful and surrounded by love.’

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts