William Crowther

April 15, 1817 (age 67)

Haarlem, Netherlands

The Crowthers moved to Van Diemen"s Land (now Tasmania) in 1824. In 1842 he returned to Tasmania and practised at Hobart. Crowther was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in October 1866, but resigned his seat in December 1866. On 22 March 1869, he was elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council as a representative of Hobart and held this seat until his death. He was a constant attendant and an able speaker. In July 1876 he joined the Thomas Reibey cabinet as a minister without portfolio, and on 20 December 1878 became premier. Crowther resigned on 29 October 1879. Crowther died in Hobart on 12 April 1885. A statue of West. L. Crowther is erected in Franklin Square, Hobart. The inscription reads: Erected By a grateful public, And sincere personal friends, To perpetuate the memory of long and Zealous political and professional service In this colony By William Lodewyk Crowther F. R. South. C. England William Lanne Crowther is noted for mutilating the remains of William Lanne, a Tasmanian Aboriginal, in 1869. He removed Lanne"s skull and sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The act proved controversial even at the time: A fracas occurred outside the Council chamber, Hobart Town, a few nights ago. Mr. Crowther, member for Hobart Town, threatened his colleague, Mr. Kennerley, with personal violence, because of the latter"s allusion to Mr. Crowther"s alleged abstraction of the last aboriginal"s head Mr. Kennerley called the attention of the House to the circumstance, and Mr. Crowther was reprimanded.

William Crowther

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politician

Background

Crowther was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, elder child of Doctor William Crowther who was later a long-time resident surgeon of Hobart.

Education

Crowther was educated at a private school at Richard B. Claiborne"s Grammar School in Longford, Tasmania and then went to Street Thomas" Hospital, England to study medicine.

Career

The Crowthers moved to Van Diemen"s Land (now Tasmania) in 1824. In 1842 he returned to Tasmania and practised at Hobart. Crowther was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in October 1866, but resigned his seat in December 1866.

On 22 March 1869, he was elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council as a representative of Hobart and held this seat until his death.

He was a constant attendant and an able speaker. In July 1876 he joined the Thomas Reibey cabinet as a minister without portfolio, and on 20 December 1878 became premier.

Crowther resigned on 29 October 1879. Crowther died in Hobart on 12 April 1885.

A statue of West. L. Crowther is erected in Franklin Square, Hobart.

The inscription reads:

Erected

By a grateful public,

And sincere personal friends,

To perpetuate the memory of long and

Zealous political and professional service

In this colony

By

William Lodewyk Crowther

F. R. South. C. England

William Lanne

Crowther is noted for mutilating the remains of William Lanne, a Tasmanian Aboriginal, in 1869. He removed Lanne"s skull and sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The act proved controversial even at the time:

A fracas occurred outside the Council chamber, Hobart Town, a few nights ago.

Mr.

Crowther, member for Hobart Town, threatened his colleague, Mr. Kennerley, with personal violence, because of the latter"s allusion to Mr. Crowther"s alleged abstraction of the last aboriginal"s head

Mr.

Kennerley called the attention of the House to the circumstance, and Mr. Crowther was reprimanded.

Achievements

Despite a long life involving many other endeavours and achievements in his adopted home and abroad, according to historian Helen Patricia MacDonald "the events of 1869 came to define William Crowther"s place in Tasmanian history.".

Politics

The state of the political parties at that time made it practically impossible to do anything constructive.

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