Final artwork explores public response to statue

Published on 17 November 2021

Conversations about the presence of the controversial William Crowther statue in Franklin Square have been captured on film and presented for public viewing.

The final instalment of four-part temporary artwork program Crowther Reinterpreted is by Hobart writer, photographer and filmmaker Jillian Mundy.

Titled Something Missing, the work includes installation of a viewing enclosure at Franklin Square, where members of the public can view the short film. It is a direct response to the third work in the series, BREATHING SPACE by Julie Gough, for which a timber crate was place over the statue of Crowther.

The film was made during the term of the third artwork. Mundy interviewed people who visited Franklin Square, asking whether they knew what was in the crate and seeking their opinions on the statue.

“Immortalising individuals who have done terrible things is not good practice by most people’s standards in 2021,” the artist said.

“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.”

Acting Lord Mayor Helen Burnet said the fourth artwork provided further insight into how people viewed the statue and would contribute to the broader discussion about the statue’s future.

“The relevance today of statues like this one are often debated and we know that the presence of this particular statue is a source of distress for many people,” Cr Burnet said.

“We chose to use art as a means to bring this important conversation into the public realm, at the same time giving a voice to people who have been affected by the statue’s presence.”

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. The partner of ‘Queen’ Truganini, he became known as King Billy and the native plant the ‘King Billy Pine’ is named after him. He died in 1869, aged 34. 

The Crowther Reinterpreted project is delivering four temporary artworks, from solo arts practitioners or small teams of artists, with priority given to Tasmanian Aboriginal artists.

The artworks themselves, along with the community feedback and discussion they provoke, will help to inform a permanent response to the statue. To contribute to the discussion or provide feedback on the artwork, visit yoursay.hobartcity.com.au.

View the film Something Missing