Statue of divisive former Tasmanian premier William Crowther, who desecrated body of Aboriginal man, to be taken down

The statue of a former Tasmanian prime minister who desecrated the body of an Aboriginal man in the 19th century will be removed after a vote in the city council.

William Crowther, a prominent surgeon, broke into a Hobart mortuary in 1869 and removed William Lanne’s skull before sending it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

A bronze statue of Crowther was erected in Franklin Square in Hobart in 1889, four years after his death, in recognition of his service to the community.

Hobart City Council passed a development application on Wednesday night to remove the statue, place it in storage and replace it with temporary signage.

“Crowther was certainly not the only person transacting in this discredited field of ‘race science,'” Hobart Mayor Anna Reynolds said in a statement.

‘But he is the only person with a practical involvement who has a prominent party statue in Hobart’s main town square.

“The decision to move this statue does not change history.

“The archives, books, articles, data and stories associated with the image will all remain unchanged.”

The statue’s plinth will remain and an interpretive piece will be commissioned to tell the “complex” story of Crowther, Lanne, and society at the time.

In the meantime, temporary signage will be placed on the site to explain the removal of the statue.

Councilor Louise Elliot, who voted against the removal, said the statue was artistically beautiful and indicative of the love people had for Crowther.

“The people who worshiped him paid for this statue with the clear intention that it would stand as a lasting memorial for generations to come,” she said at the council meeting.

‘The cultural value of this image is enormous.

“It captures a piece of our history.

‘It encourages deeper thinking, also about how times and values ​​have changed.’

Approval of the development application for the removal of the statue can be appealed to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

An initial vote to remove the statue was passed by the council in August 2022 by 7 to 4.

Indigenous campaigners have pushed for its removal for years, with a report to the council noting Aboriginal people expressing pain at its continued presence.

William Lanne’s skull (pictured) was removed by Mr Crowther after he broke into a Hobart mortuary in 1869. He sent the skull to the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

Indigenous campaigners have been pushing for the removal of Mr Crowther’s statue for years, with a report noting Aboriginal people expressing pain at its continued presence.

Crowther’s statue was painted red in 2021 and draped with the Aboriginal flag in one of several pieces designed to provoke discussion of his story.

Crowther was suspended from his role as an honorary medical officer at Hobart General Hospital following allegations stemming from the mutilation.

He was the 14th Prime Minister of Tasmania, serving for about 10 months from December 1878.

Tasmania’s Heritage Council ruled earlier this month that removing the statue would have an ‘acceptable’ impact on Franklin Square.

Ms Reynolds has previously said the image would be preserved and possibly reinterpreted.

Lanne died of cholera and dysentery at the age of 34.

He was described as a whaling ship with a cheerful attitude and a love of the sea.