Crowther Reinterpreted

When was Allan's artwork on display?

Allan's artwork was the first to be displayed as part of the Crowther Interpretation project. Truth Telling was displayed in April – June 2021.

What do the different components of the Allan's artwork mean?

Each component of the work has been carefully considered to symbolise various aspects of the story of William Lanne and of William Crowther's actions against Lanne in the 1860s.

Allan's artwork temporarily transforms William Crowther into a memorial for William Lanne. His head and hands are coated in red, and he holds an Aboriginal flag in one hand, a saw in the other and has a bone at his feet. Allan has also covered up the text on the statue with an explanation of Crowther's actions against Lanne.

Following is from Allan's statement for the artwork:
"The representation of the red hands and red head is the decapitation of head and hands.
The flag represents the strength of the Aboriginal people of Lutriwita.
The bone represents Coorinna (the Tasmanian Tiger), again abused and driven out by the colonists. It calls the tiger to come collect the bone, take it away, bury it.... Come and collect your statue! Whoever!”

What materials is Allan's installation made of?

The red head is a flexible vinyl printed with an image of Lanne's face. The red hands are a rubberised red paint. The Aboriginal flag is fixed to an aluminium pole. The bone is representative and is actually a cow bone.

Will Allan's installation leave any damage to the statue?

All of the materials and processes have been selected to be easily removable. For example, the vinyl is the same as that used on car and bus wraps and is made with a low "tack" to ensure ease of removal and the rubberised paint has been selected for its ability to be peeled away cleanly at the end of the installation.

The film component of this work can be viewed on The Whaler's Tale page.

When was Greg and Roger's artwork on display?

The Lanney Pillar was the second temporary artwork in the Crowther Reinterpretation project. It was displayed from June to August 2021 in Franklin Square.

What does the artwork mean?

Roger Scholes and Greg Lehman have created the artwork to share an "alternative narrative" about the story of William Crowther and William Lanne. Through presenting evocative imagery, historical records, and a film, they share what is known about the life of William Lanne; who he was, his relationship to Country and the facts of events that followed his death.

Roger Scholes and Greg Lehman's Artist Statement

THE LANNEY PILLAR

The life of Aboriginal Tasmanian William Lanney [1835-1869] has been overshadowed by what happened to him after his death. Few of us know anything about his extraordinary life.

A statue of the man who stole his remains from the Hobart morgue is perhaps the only public icon that may lead us to Lanney's story. The statue of that man - William Crowther - erected by his colleagues with the blessing of the British Crown, now stands in Hobart's Franklin Square along with that of King Edward VII and Sir John Franklin, Governor of Tasmania [1786 - 1847].

But nothing of Lanney's life or death is marked on Crowther's statue. You would have to dig into the archives or online to find out about the remarkable events of Lanney's life - a life which offers deep insights for us today into the turmoil C19th Van Diemen's Land - Tasmania - lutruwita.

William Lanney was one of the last Tasmanian Aboriginal children born on the traditional Country of their ancestors. In 1842 Lanney and his family were exiled by the Governor to Wybalenna on Flinders Island.

As a young man, Lanney joined the crews of the whaling ships sailing the Southern Ocean to Chile and beyond. Lanney's shipmates called him 'King Billy'. In 1867 he sailed to England to meet Queen Victoria and later in Hobart he met with the Duke of Edinburgh, advocating for his people.

Lanney was an independent man, respected by the people of Hobart Town who lined the streets for his funeral. When Dr. William Crowther snatched his body from the morgue, Lanney's dignity was also stolen - by a scoundrel whose statue still stands before you. Where is the memorial to Lanney's extraordinary life?

This Pillar offers the public an alternative narrative, seeking to reclaim the story of Lanney's life from under the cloak of the scoundrel Crowther up there on his bronze statue next door.

Images of Lanney's life on the rear of the Pillar tell of his connection to his country, his exile and his whaling life.

The Lanney Pillar has a 3 minute movie evocation of Lanney the countryman, his exile and whaling life, in Pillar viewer box.

The QR coded 12 minute film The Whaler's Tale that can be viewed online tells his extraordinary story and the absurd reasons Europeans like Crowther had for stealing Tasmanian Aboriginal bones for their English masters in London.

Why are there different spelling of Lanne and Lanney?

William Lanne was known by many names. There are multiple references in history to different spelling of William Lanne's surname including Lanne, Lanney and Lanny. His traditional name is not known, and he was given the European name of William when he was seven years old. Many Aboriginal names have multiple spelling due to errors in records and historical interpretations.

What materials is Roger and Greg's sculpture made of?

The sculpture is a free-standing timber structure that is fixed securely in the ground at its base. The artists have used timber, glass, paint, and print. The sculpture includes a solar-powered LED screen displaying a short film. A QR is visible on the sculpture's base and can be scanned to view the full version of the film online.

Will Roger and Greg's installation damage the statue of Crowther?

No. The sculpture will stand nearby to the statue of Crowther.

How can I view the full version of the film, The Whaler's Tale?

The sculpture includes a solar-powered LED screen displaying a short film played on a loop. The film is a 4-minute excerpt of a longer film created by the artists called The Whaler's Tale. The full version of the film can be viewed online by scanning the QR code displayed on the sculpture's base or at the end of the film. Alternatively, the film can be viewed on The Whaler's Tale page. The film will also be displayed on the City of Hobart's digital art platform, The Loop, for the duration of the installation period. Screening times can be viewed on The Loop website.

The Whaler's Tale

Does the film show real footage of William Lanney?

Film-maker, Roger Scholes, and academic, Greg Lehman, call the film, The Whaler's Tale, an 'evocation' of William Lanny's life. They have used a combination of historical records and images as well as film footage and music from contemporary sources and storytelling to create an artistic interpretation of what life might have been like for William Lanney. While the film includes some historical records of Lanney, including his portrait, the events of William Lanney's life took place in a time when film was not available. The footage that appears in the film is from Roger Scholes' career as a Tasmanian filmmaker and has been used to illustrate aspects of William Lanney's life.

The downloadable component of this work can be viewed on the BREATHING SPACE page.

When was Julie's artwork on display?

BREATHING SPACE is the third temporary artwork in the Crowther Reinterpretation project. It was displayed from September 1 to end of October 2021 in Franklin Square.

What does the artwork mean?

BREATHING SPACE is an intervention that disrupts the statue of Dr William Lodewyk Crowther within Franklin Square, and in doing so temporarily creates a break for those pained by its presence. This is Julie's artist statement for this project:

Encased, crated and covered, the statue of William Lodewyk Crowther and its laudatory plaque is finally, albeit temporarily, removed from view. The man was monstrous. His legacy is Aboriginal grieving, which still persists in his and his progenies wake; infamously efficient body-snatchers much celebrated by the citizens of Hobart. Let us use this time of relief, protected from his arrogant gaze, to realise we don't need to see the face of evil to know it is always there, haunting and testing the measure of society.

What materials is Julie's sculpture made of?

Julie's work is made of stained plywood. Metal straps are used to hold the plinth cover in place.

Will Julie' installation damage the statue of Crowther?

The work has been designed to simply sit in place around the existing statue, using protective material at any of the points where it touches the stone of the statue. The box will not actually touch the bronze of the statue, it will simply encase it.

The film component of this work can be viewed on Something Missing page.

When was Jillian's work on display?

Something Missing was the fourth temporary artwork in the Crowther Reinterpretation project. It was displayed from 18 November 2021 until the middle of January 2022 in Franklin Square.

What does the artwork mean?

Jillian Mundy has collaborated with Troy Melville to make a film that is predominantly comprised of vox pop style interviews with users of Franklin Square who pass by the Crowther statue on a regular basis. The following is her artist statement about the work:

Immortalising individuals who have done terrible things is not good practice by most people's standards in 2021. Many colonial statues are offensive, some more than others. This is the case of the statue of Crowther in Franklin Square - a statue on a massive pedestal - yet details of his gory deeds are missing, just like much of lutruwita's (Tasmania's) history. Do people that go into that park know who he is? Do they care? Would they even notice if he is missing? Do they want the statue gone? Are they ashamed of missing history?

Something Missing explores answers to these questions from people who pass through the park every day and the work will continue, or perhaps hasten, the conversation about what we do with these chunks of metal.

What materials is the work made of?

With the exception of an added side panel, some water proofing and one can of paint, the viewing enclosure is made with repurposed materials - a former promotional recycling box from the Hobart Airport. It was repurposed with the assistance of the Karadi Men's Shed and is weighed down with used containers from Unpacked in Kingston.

Who were the people interviewed?

Jillian spoke with around 100 people who use the public spaces near the statue in vox pops style interviews. They were asked if they were happy to be filmed answering questions about the park. No interviews were prearranged, nor was anyone invited to the park. All conversations were voluntary and Jillian turned up a range of times throughout the day. While not all recorded footage was included, responses that differed from the film makers were gratefully received as part of the work.