A statue of William Crowther, a 19th-century surgeon and premier of Tasmania during British colonial rule, has been replaced with a new public art installation in Hobart, prompting protests in the Australian city. The original statue, which had stood in Franklin Square since 1889, was removed in 2024 after activists toppled it. Crowther’s legacy is contentious due to his removal of the skull of William Lanne, an Aboriginal man, from a morgue in what he described as scientific research.

The site of the former statue now features a bronze ring, titled “the ring of truth-telling,” that encircles the empty sandstone plinth. The installation includes inscriptions offering historical context regarding Tasmania’s colonial history, Crowther’s actions, and broader reflections on statues commemorating figures from that era. The ring, surrounded by a garden of native plants, was unveiled recently as part of a project costing A$300,000.

The new installation was met with opposition by some local residents and councillors who object to the removal of the original monument. Protesters held placards expressing their disapproval, emphasizing the statue’s 134-year heritage and opposing what they see as erasure of history. Louise Elliot, a Hobart city councillor, criticised the decision to replace and store the Crowther statue rather than reinstate it. She expressed concern about the timing and expense of the project amid an ongoing cost of living crisis, and argued that additions to cultural heritage should be favoured over deletions. Elliot also highlighted Crowther’s former standing in the community and the public donations that funded the original statue, saying that his memory should not be used as an outlet for public anger.

The artist behind the new installation, architect Mat Hinds, described the bronze ring as “a ring of truth-telling,” likening it to a “halo of light” designed to promote reflection on the truths of colonial history.

The protestors opposing the installation were met by members of the Aboriginal community who supported the removal of Crowther’s statue and welcomed the reinterpretation of the colonial monument. The events in Hobart are part of a broader movement in Australia, where several British colonial-era statues have been vandalised, toppled or defaced in recent years amid ongoing debates about historical memory and colonial legacies.