Art project invites discussion on Crowther statue

Published on 21 October 2020

An arts project that encourages public conversation about the future of the William Crowther statue in Franklin Square has been launched by the City of Hobart today

Artists are invited to submit proposals for temporary artworks to be installed near the Crowther statue during the next 12 months.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the arts project was in response to the City’s commitment to telling a more complete history of Hobart and concerns about the statue from members of the community.

She said the statue of Crowther was seen by many Tasmanian Aboriginal people as a symbol of injustice and oppression because of Crowther’s mistreatment of the remains of Aboriginal man William Lanne, also known as ‘King Billy’. 

“We hope this arts project will get people thinking about and discussing this important period of our city’s history,” Cr Reynolds said.

“I expect these projects will highlight hidden stories and help the city to have a respectful conversation about our history. The beauty of reflecting on our past is when you realise there’s not just one story, but there are sometimes two or three stories.”

Dutch-born William Crowther was a 19th century naturalist and surgeon and briefly Premier of Tasmania but is also known for mutilating the remains of Tasmanian Aboriginal man William Lanne in the 1860s.

Lanne was well regarded as an advocate for his community. He became known as King Billy and the native plant the ‘King Billy Pine’ is named after him.

The project will deliver four temporary artworks, from solo arts practitioners or small teams of artists, with priority given to Tasmanian Aboriginal artists.

The artworks can focus on any aspect of the Crowther statue or Crowther’s actions, and may include Lanne’s story as an Aboriginal leader, the politics of 1860s Hobart, current views on Crowther, or the validity of bronze statues in modern cities.

Each artwork will be in place for up to two months, though the timeframe can be shorter if the artwork requires a shorter response, such as a performance.

The temporary works will be installed around or on the Crowther statue in Franklin Square, in direct relation to the Crowther monument.

Selection will be done by a City of Hobart advisory panel comprising figures from the Aboriginal community and local arts organisations.

The artistic commissions – and the community responses to them – will help inform a permanent response to the statue, which will be considered at a later time.

Artists interested in participating in this project can follow @creativehobart on Instagram or visit hobartcity.com.au/CrowtherReinterpretation to find out more. Submissions close on 20 November.