Franklin Square (Hobart)

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Franklin Square
Lascar Franklin Square (Hobart) (4552530076).jpg
TypePublic space
LocationHobart, Tasmania, Australia
Coordinates42°53′00″S 147°19′49″E / 42.883340°S 147.330248°E / -42.883340; 147.330248Coordinates: 42°53′00″S 147°19′49″E / 42.883340°S 147.330248°E / -42.883340; 147.330248
Created1863-1866[1]
Operated byHobart City Council
OpenAll year
Public transit accessHobart Bus Mall
Place ID2,333[2]
StatusPermanently Registered

Franklin Square is an oak-lined public space in Central Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is named after Sir John Franklin (1786-1847), the Arctic explorer and former Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (as Tasmania was then known); the centrepiece of the park is a statue of Franklin, with an epitaph by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.[3]

History

Franklin Square and Hobart Town Hall were built on the site of the Old Government House, which was demolished in 1858.[4] Originally named George's Square in honour of King George IV, Governor Lachlan Macquarie envisioned the site being utilised for a church, courthouse, town hall, public market, as well as a main guard for stationed troops and a public garrison parade area, as regular musters had previously been held on the grounds of the Old Government House since at least 1817. Eventually it was decided that a public square was required to establish a centre point for the growing colony as a community meeting place.[5] In 1860, a parliamentary resolution was passed dedicating funds for the creation of a statue and fountain as the centrepiece for the new gated central park in honour of Sir John Franklin.

Bomb shelter transformation

Following the Bombing of Darwin in 1942, the threat of further Japanese air raids was heightened across all Australian capital cities. Franklin Square was transformed into a bomb shelter until the remainder of the war, offering shelter for 900 people.[6][7][8]

Iron fence removal

Originally the square was contained by an ornate, palisade iron fence. Although discussion surrounding the fate of the fence had begun following the removal of its gates in the 1930s, the topic caused a political stir when the Tasmanian Government offered to take over the Square entirely during its transformation into an air raid shelter during World War 2. Following the removal of the gates, the fence no longer protected the Square at night from "undesirable" behaviours. The right of jurisdiction between the state government and city council escalated, with the fence eventually removed to improve park access in 1944. The council suggested the fence could be relocated to the Royal Botanical Gardens, however this never eventuated.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

2016 upgrades

In 2015, Franklin Square was closed for significant upgrades including the hydraulic and electrical systems for the centrepiece fountain, renovations on the Elizabeth Street restrooms, newly established garden beds, retaining walls, improved pathway access and the relocation of the giant chess board. Celery-top pine wood was recovered from Lake Pieman as part of the new Hydrowood project to make the park's new furnishings. Franklin Square officially reopened on 27 May 2016.[15][16]

Public works

APEX Wishing Well

Constructed from sandstone with ornate ironwork, the APEX Wishing Well was opened by Lord Mayor Archibald Park on 30 November 1955 to commemorate 21 years of community service provided by the APEX Club of Hobart. All donations are directed to the Tascare Society for Children.

Giant chess-set

Along the Davey Street side of the park, a chequered section of concrete measuring 4 by 4 metres (13 ft × 13 ft) serves as an oversized outdoor chess board. Constructed by the Sandy Bay Lions Club in 1960, the large chess pieces and original park benches that encased the chess pieces were crafted with funds donated by IXL Jam. The chess set is available for play between 8am to 6pm daily. The park benches were replaced following the 2016 upgrades to the square.

Two Islands sculpture

In 2015, the City of Hobart invested $100,000 into the development, construction and installation of a new interactive artwork entitled Two Islands by sculptor and sound artist Nigel Helyer. Completed in 2017, Helyer was assisted and consulted by Tasmanian Aboriginal canoe-maker Tony Brown to create the sculpture utilising timber, steel, lighting and sound technology.[17]

William Crowther statue

The controversial William Crowther statue in 2014

A large bronze statue standing 2.4 metres (8 ft) depicting Dr William Lodewyk Crowther was erected at the Square in 1889, four years after Crowther's passing. In 2020, the Crowther statue became a focal point for conversation surrounding Reconciliation in Australia following the removal of statues depicting controversial figures in the United States in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Crowther, a surgeon and former Premier of Tasmania is primarily known for his actions surrounding the decapitation and mutilation of the body of the last full-blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal man, William Lanne in 1869.

Crowther Reinterpreted

In 2021, the City of Hobart selected four temporary artworks that interacted with the statue to be installed over two month periods called Crowther Reinterpreted. The aim was to evoke conversation surrounding the fate of the statue. The first installation, titled Truth Telling by Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Allan Mansell was unveiled in April 2021. Mansell's piece explored transforming Crowther into Lanne through the painting of statue's face and hands red, placing an Aboriginal flag in his hand, and rewriting the plinth's text, offering an alternative historical narrative.[18] Another artwork, entitled Breathing Space by Northern Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Julie Gough saw the statue covered with a large black crate.[19] Some of Crowther's descendants who learnt of his persuits surrounding biological racism due to the Crowther Reinterpreted project called for the removal of the statue.[20][21]

Statue removal

On 15 August 2022, the Hobart City Council voted 7 to 4 in favour of removing Crowther's statue from public display. The council's notion for the statue's removal is the first of its kind to occur in Australia.[20] The fate of the statue itself remains undecided, with public opinion varying from the statue being destroyed or being relocated to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, where the statue could be observed within an exhibit offering greater historical context.[22]

Ecology

See also: Elms in Australia

Franklin Square's leafy character is greatly distinguished by English elms (Ulmus minor) and Tilias that are over 150 years old. To the east of the centre pavement, there is a single Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and a scattering of medium-sized New Zealand evergreen trees.

Location and layout

Franklin Square occupies roughly a whole urban block bounded by Macquarie, Elizabeth, and Davey Streets and the Hobart Town Hall, which faces Murray Street. The open public square is directly opposite the Hobart Bus Mall and Hobart GPO building.

See also

Old Government House, Hobart

Notes

  1. ^ "Franklin Square Main Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Permanent and Provisional Registrations as at 22 Jan 2021" (PDF). Tasmanian Heritage Register. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Franklin, Sir John (1786–1847)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Government Houses 111 Hobart Town" (PDF). Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  5. ^ Jones, Callum J. (4 June 2020). "Tas That Was – Franklin Square". Tasmanian Times. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  6. ^ "PLAN FOR PUBLIC SHELTERS IN CITY STREETS". The Mercury. Vol. CLV, no. 22, 236. Tasmania, Australia. 6 March 1942. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Air Raid Precautions". The Mercury. Vol. CLV, no. 22, 262. Tasmania, Australia. 7 April 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Take Cover! Tasmania's WWII Air Raid Shelters". libraries.tas.gov.au. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  9. ^ "FRANKLIN SQUARE Value Of Old Landmarks". The Mercury. Vol. CL, no. 21, 291. Tasmania, Australia. 21 February 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "CONTROL OF FRANKLIN SQUARE". The Mercury. Vol. CL, no. 21, 303. Tasmania, Australia. 7 March 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ ""UNEDIFYING SPECTACLE" Inspection Of Franklin Square". The Mercury. Vol. CL, no. 21, 287. Tasmania, Australia. 16 February 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "FRANKLIN SQUARE". The Mercury. Vol. CXLVIII, no. 21, 071. Tasmania, Australia. 8 June 1938. p. 9. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "UNDESIRABLE SCENES AT NIGHT". The Mercury. Vol. CL, no. 21, 303. Tasmania, Australia. 7 March 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "FRANKLIN SQUARE FENCE TO BE REMOVED". The Mercury. Vol. CLX, no. 22, 966. Tasmania, Australia. 11 July 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ Howard, Jessica (14 May 2016). "It's a Franklin Square to share as popular Hobart city park reopens after six-month upgrade". The Mercury (Hobart). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  16. ^ Kempton, Helen (26 May 2016). "Fun the focus as Franklin Square officially reopened by Hobart City Council". The Mercury (Hobart). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Artwork to pay homage to Aboriginal culture and history". Hobart Observer. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  18. ^ Howard, Jessica (27 April 2021). "William Crowther statue in Hobart to be transformed into representation of Tasmanian Aboriginal man William Lanne". The Mercury (Hobart). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  19. ^ Augustine, Judy (2 September 2021). ""Feel good woke project": Hobart council criticised for Crowther art project". The Mercury (Hobart). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  20. ^ a b Murray, Will (16 August 2022). "Controversial William Crowther statue to be removed after Hobart City Council vote". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  21. ^ "'A small step to reconciliation': Hobart council to remove statue of William Crowther who stole Aboriginal skull from morgue". The Guardian (Australia). 15 August 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  22. ^ Augustine, Judy (15 August 2022). "UTAS Professor suggests new home for controversial statue". The Mercury (Hobart). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
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