The controversy over the William Crowther statue in Hobart centres on Crowther's role in the 1869 post‑mortem mutilation of Aboriginal man William Lanne, a surviving Tasmanian Aboriginal man who had been subjected to colonial violence, forced removals, and disease. Crowther's actions were part of a broader 19th‑century trend of collecting Aboriginal remains for "scientific" study, often with political and social benefits for those who could provide them ABC. His removal of Lanne's skull was a deeply offensive act, and the incident became a public scandal involving Tasmania's political leaders at the time. For decades, the Palawa community and their allies have campaigned for the statue's removal, viewing it as a symbol of colonial violence and racial intolerance. In 2021, Hobart City Council launched the Crowther Reinterpreted Project, using temporary artworks to provoke dialogue about this contested history Springer. In 2022, the council voted to remove the statue while keeping its sandstone plinth, with plans for interpretive signage. On May 15 (2024) the statue was vandalized overnight -- cut at the ankles and graffitied with "what goes around" and "decolonize" and the council expressed disappointment but said it would preserve the statue in a respectful manner. Our guide informed us that the Council is still working the issue. read more

William Crowther Statue - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Hobart, TAS