Supporters upset at the decision to remove Hobart’s controversial William Crowther statue from Franklin Square are making one last attempt to prevent its removal.
Former Hobart City Alderman Jeff Briscoe is challenging the council’s decision to remove the statue by filing an appeal with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, hoping to keep it where it currently stands.
The statue has long faced calls for removal due to Crowther’s history of mutilating the remains of an Aboriginal man and stealing his skull.
The Hobart City Council voted for the statue to be taken down last year and it was recently approved for removal by the Heritage Council and the Hobart City planning committee.
Briscoe argues that removing the statue would lead to significant loss to Franklin Square and Tasmania’s cultural heritage and that separating the bronze part of the statue from the plinth would destroy its integrity.
He also criticises the proposed signage approved to accompany the empty plinth as “overpowering, dominant, distracting and unsuitable.”
A directions hearing, expected to be held in mid-September, will allow parties to discuss how long they need to prepare their evidence for a hearing.
Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre campaign manager Nala Mansell expressed her disappointment at the appeal and accused Briscoe of attempting to slow down the removal process.
