Hobart City Council has voted to remove the statue of former Tasmanian premier William Crowther from a park in the centre of the city — but a historian says in the very same public space there are monuments to other men who did far worse deeds.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this story contains references and images of deceased persons and content which may cause distress.
In the 1860s, Crowther, who was also a surgeon, broke into a morgue in Hobart which was storing the body of Aboriginal man William Lanne, removed his skull and sent it to a museum.
He then replaced the skull with that of another corpse.
The statue of Crowther was erected in Franklin Square in 1889 for his "political and professional service to the colony", but last night Hobart councillors voted 7-4 in favour of taking it down.
"With our decision, we're saying we're ready to have truth-telling take prime position in our premier civic square," Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said during the debate.
"We're also saying that we don't want to celebrate a time in our history when scientists and doctors wanted to prove theories of European superiority.
"It was an appalling tradition and, as long as the statue stands there, Crowther does represent that part of the scientific and medical tradition.
"[So this is] an important step towards reconciliation, and an important step towards telling a much more honest and truthful history of what happened in Hobart's colonial past."
It is believed to be the first time an Australian council has decided to remove a statue.
There was a loud cheer from the packed gallery inside the council chambers when the result was read out.
"Relying on non-Aboriginal elected leaders to make the right decision on Aboriginal issues is not something we've been able to do before," Nala Mansell from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre said after the meeting.
"We just really would like to acknowledge the seven elected members that were able to stand up, show true leadership and lead the way in this country.
"It's a great day for Tasmania and for Tasmanian Aboriginal people."
As outlined in the motion, the bronze part of the statue will be removed once it receives planning approval, with the plinth remaining in place.
The statue itself will be preserved — initially taken to the city's valuables collection but possibly re-interpreted in a different location later.
On the site, temporary signage explaining the decision will be put in place, with a long-term installation to be decided on in the future.
"We will commission a new public artwork which tells a much broader, deeper, and more honest version of what was going on in that era in Hobart's history," Ms Reynolds said.
However, some of those who voted against the motion said it still constituted an attempt to erase the state's history.
"I think we need to preserve our history as a society, as a nation, as a state and as a city, warts and all," Alderman Simon Behrakis said.
"That statue didn't go up celebrating the horrors and appalling acts that were committed, it celebrated a man's contribution to the state.
"Those appalling acts should not be minimised, should not be sanitised away, but I think removing the statue does just that, I think it does sanitise history to an effect."
Other figures 'worse than Crowther'
Cassandra Pybus, a prominent Tasmanian historian, said Crowther's crimes paled in comparison to other historical figures, including former governor Sir John Franklin — whose statue sits in the very same public park.
"[Crowther's actions are] egregious, it's appalling, it's shocking … but down the road from him in the same park is Sir John Franklin," she said.
"He wasn't a surgeon, so he got somebody else to do it [cut the skulls out] for him.
"When he was visiting Flinders Island, his wife Lady Jane Franklin requested skulls be sent to them at government house, and they were."
Ms Pybus said many former governors across Australia had been involved in mutilating Aboriginal remains — whether performing the act themselves or ordering others to carry out the task.
"You could start with Arthur Phillip in New South Wales on the First Fleet who gives instructions to the soldiers to go out to Botany Bay and capture Pemulwuy the great warrior … and bring back 20 heads," she said.
"Why? Because he had a letter from Joseph Banks saying 'will you send me some native skulls?'"
Ms Pybus said despite "many examples" throughout history, "there's only one person who's ever talked about as mutilating Aboriginal bodies".
"As long as that remains the case, you're not going to have the truth-telling about what a shocking and complete process was going on," she said.
"From the moment the settlers arrived and started killing Aboriginal people, they started taking trophies, usually the head."
Crowther descendant supports decision
Tasmanian Aboriginal people have been campaigning for the statue to be removed from its prominent position for decades, but the movement gained momentum in recent years through the "Crowther Reinterpreted" project, a series of artworks in Franklin Square.
It was during this time that Crowther's great-great-great-grandson first learned about his ancestor's past and the story of what he did to Lanne.
"I think that some of those things were kept from us, not only through a lack of knowledge but also through some form of embarrassment or shame," Matt Drysdale said. "As you could understand, this is a highly sensitive thing to discuss in a family context."
Mr Drysdale and his sister made a submission to Hobart City Council ahead of the vote asking them to remove the statue.
"[Learning about Crowther's history] has been quite challenging and confronting … but for us the only thing that we felt that we could do is to support the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community in what they wish to do here.
"Rather than being ashamed, we have to own that history, so that we as a broader community can move forward."
