Crowther Reinterpretation

In August 2022 the following recommendation was approved by Council:

That:

1. In recognition of the Council's 2020 Aboriginal Commitment and Action Plan and the submissions received in response to the Crowther Reinterpreted project, Council support the proposal for partial removal of the William Crowther statue from Franklin Square - the bronze component – to the City's Valuables Collection, pending further negotiations with local collecting institutions, for a permanent location for this element (Stage 3).

(i) This partial removal would be subject to receipt of planning approval by the Council and be paired with the instatement of temporary signage on the Franklin Square site, explaining the project.
(approved by Council 7 votes for and 4 votes against)

2. Subsequently, that officers develop a detailed proposal, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, for commissioning new, permanent, interpretative and/or sculptural elements to be installed beside the Crowther plinth (Stage 4). This would form the basis of a future report to the Council.
(approved unanimously by Council)

3. Following the completion of the Crowther Reinterpreted project, the Council support the development of a Monuments Policy to inform future additions or removals to the City's collection.
(approved unanimously by Council)

Anyone wishing to know more detail about the above proposal can read the full report in the Committee Meeting Agenda.

The City of Hobart has commissioned a series of four temporary public art commissions, by local arts practitioners, each offering a response to the statue of William Crowther in Franklin Square.

Through engagement on a number of City of Hobart projects, a number of Tasmanian Aboriginal people expressed their discomfort with the continued existence of the William Crowther statue and their desire for something to be done to recognise Crowther’s treatment of the Aboriginal leader William Lanne’s body after his death in the 1860s.

The City’s Aboriginal Commitment and Action Plan, sets out a commitment to visibility and truth telling across the city, with an action under this commitment being:

Undertake an interpretation project to tell the layered story of Crowther in Franklin Square. (Action 6)

This project responds directly to this commitment, and is intended as a way to allow multiple voices to comment on and discuss this contested element within the city.

The four works will present diverse perspectives and aim to acknowledge, question, provoke discussion or increase awareness about the story of Crowther and Lanne.

The current work installed is:

Something Missing, 2021 by Jillian Mundy

Get involved and have your say

View the temporary public artwork in Franklin Square or view the video online here
Complete the online survey
Join the conversation in the online discussion forum

If this project has raised any mental health concerns for you, we encourage you to seek help via the support services listed at Mental Health Council of Tasmania.