Controversial statue to come down in historic move

In a bombshell twist, there’s a chance the decision to remove a controversial could be overturned after the upcoming council election. Here’s how.

Judy Augustine

@JudyAugustine

4 min read

August 16, 2022 - 4:03PM

Tasmania

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The Hobart City Council’s historic decision to partially remove the statue of a former Premier who beheaded the remains of a Tasmanian Aboriginal man and stole his skull could be overturned when a new council is elected in October.

William Crowther, who died in 1885, stole the skull of William Lanne and William Crowther sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

He was suspended from his role as an honorary medical officer at the Hobart General Hospital.

The statue was erected in 1889, but on Monday the council voted 7-4 to partially remove the controversial statue of William Crowther, relocating the bronze part of the statue and leaving the plinth behind.

“It is a step toward reconciliation with our Tasmanian Aboriginal community who have said for many years that this statue and what it represents should not be in such a premier place in our central civic square,” Hobart lord mayor Anna Reynolds said.

Lord Mayor of Hobart, Anna Reynolds Picture: Linda Higginson

“The decision is a really good compromise, it’s the removal of the statue but it’s the conservation of the statue, potentially the statue will be displayed somewhere else.”

A new public art project will be commissioned to tell the story of Hobart’s history.

“To explain what a terrible type of scientific tradition it was, this idea of digging up people’s bones and skulls and sending it to the other side of the world to try and prove European superiority,” Ms Reynolds said.

“This was a terrible part of our scientific tradition and that could be something we want to tell a much broader and honest story about in a new public artwork.”

But the decision made on Monday might not be set in stone, a planning permit will need to be obtained before it can come down and depending on how many representations are made after a planning application is lodged, the matter could once again wind up before the council.

“Nothing will happen with the statue until we have a proper planning permit,” Ms Reynolds said.

William Crowther statue was temporarily transformed into 1st Nations Tasmanian King Billy at Franklin Square, Hobart, by Tasmanian Aboriginal Artist Allan Mansell in March 2021. Picture: Chris Kidd

“That process will also allow for public representations, so I would imagine that will happen over the next few months.”

With local government elections in October, the decision would likely be voted on by a new council.

Ms Reynolds hoped a new council would respect the decision.

“A new council will certainly recognise all of the engagements that’s happened so far and also recognise the commitments we’ve made that this is part of our reconciliation action plan,” she said.

Conversations have begun around where the Crowther statue could go.

“The state library, the Crowther collection, the TMAG, these are the sort of institutions that may have an interest in redisplaying the statue,” Ms Reynolds said.

“We will care for the statue, conserve the statue and treat it with respect.

“This is not anything about deleting history, we are ultimately moving history, history is much more than a few statues.”

Controversial statue to come down in historic move - August 15

For 132 years, the statue of a former Premier stood tall in Franklin Square, but the man immortalised in bronze, William Crowther, had a dark past.

Crowther, who died in 1885, decapitated the corpse of Tasmanian Aboriginal man William Lanne and stole his skull.

For mutilating Lanne’s remains, Crowther was suspended from his role as an honorary medical officer at the Hobart General Hospital.

The bronze statue, which stands more than eight feet tall, was erected in Crowther’s honour in 1889.

Now the Hobart City Council has voted to remove the controversial statue, despite a last-minute attempt to defer the decision.

It will make Tasmania the first Australian state to remove a monument to a former Premier.

The William Crowther statue in Franklin Square Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Earlier this month, the council’s Community, Culture and Events Committee voted to remove the statue and find it a new home and retain the plinth.

The public gallery at Monday’s council meeting was filled with community members, watching the debate unfold, many held up signs with Mr Lanne’s face and skull.

Cr Zelinda Sherlock said the council had the opportunity to be bold and brave.

“I think we must remember, sovereignty was never ceded and this was and always will be Aboriginal land,” Ms Sherlock said.

Zelinda Sherlock. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“We’re not destroying anything.

“It is possibly going to the city’s valuable collection, it’s a partial removal, the plinthe will still be there.”

Ald Marti Zucco said more consultation needed to undertaken before the fate of the statue was decided.

SUN TAS. Marti Zucco on the North Hobart restaurant strip. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“I move the council conducts an elector poll on this very issue so we can see what the community of Hobart really wants and we expand consultation to other organisations,” Mr Zucco said.

“It helps with the community consultation process.”

Cr Helen Burnet said there had already been consultation.

“The idea of throwing in an elector poll which has nothing to do with what we discussed really says to me, this is an idea that’s been plucked out of the air,” Ms Burnet said.

“We know full well there has been significant engagement with Aboriginal community groups.

Cr Bill Harvey said Mr Zucco was trying to delay a decision.

“Tonight’s the night we make the decision,” Mr Harvey said.

“There’s no need to come up with tactics to delay a decision tonight.”

The move for an elector poll was defeated.

Ald Jeff Briscoe said he did not support removing the statue.

“I would support at a certain point of time, if we had agreement from TMAG, to move it to TMAG,” Mr Briscoe said.

“At this stage I don’t think we can remove it without further consultation.”

Cr Jax Fox said removing the statue was the right thing to do.

“This is such a small step we can take in a real term to address reconciliation,” they said.

“To say we’re committed to reconciliation and not actually do these little things is ridiculous.

“These people are the ones that matter and we’re trying to make it up to them.”

The motion to remove the statue was passed 7-4.

Planning and heritage approval are still required and a planning application will be lodged for the removal of the statue, which will allow the opportunity for further representations to be submitted by the community.