Months after its toppling, the final bronze remains of Hobart's William Crowther statue have been removed from the city's Franklin Square.
Crowther is known to have mutilated the body of Tasmanian Aboriginal man William Lanne in a Hobart morgue, stealing his skull and replacing it with another before sending it to London's Royal College of Surgeons.
The statue's plinth, hidden behind a large timber box, remains, with plans for temporary signage explaining the colonial-era statue's absence set to be installed.
The decision for the plinth to retain its position in the Hobart CBD, with the feet of Crowther's stature removed, has disappointed Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre campaign manager Nala Mansell, who says it misrepresents the former premier of the state.
"The bronze part of the monument has been taken down but the plinth remains which mentions how 'great' of a man William Crowther was," Ms Mansell told The Mercury.
A plaque on the plinth reads "…to perpetuate the memory of long and zealous political and professional services rendered in this colony by Williams Lodewyk Crowther", making no mention of his crimes.
Ms Mansell said her preference was for the remains of the statue to be left as is after it was toppled overnight in May, the day before a tribunal decision was set to be handed down upholding Council's decision for its removal.
"We celebrated that the council voted in support to remove the statue, we're disappointed the plinth must remain," Ms Mansell said.
"I think especially from an artistic point of view what a great opportunity it would have been for the statue to be left cut off.
Hobart City Council acting city director, Felicity Edwards said the remains of the Crowther statue were removed "without damage to the plinth".
"With careful checks and investigation by the material conservationist, the remaining piece of bronze was able to be removed from the sandstone plinth," Ms Edwards said.
"As the statue was vandalised, most of the costs are covered by insurance. The repair and assessment total is approximately $62,000. The Council is required to pay an excess of $10,000 with insurance to cover the balance."
Ms Mansell said she was optimistic the Council would engage with members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community regarding the monument's replacement.
"We expect the Hobart City Council now works with the Aboriginal community to decide if any symbols or explanation will be put in place," Ms Mansell told The Mercury.
"We hope to ensure whatever is decided has the support of the Aboriginal community."
Ms Mansell said she'd be in support of a Tasmanian Aboriginal Elder being publicly recognised in the state's capital.
"There's still nothing in Hobart that acknowledges the contributions so many Aboriginal people have made to the history of the people of Tasmania," she said.
"Bronze statues are a very colonial type of monument … I think it's up for discussion whether it should be a bronze statue or something else."
