Franklin Square, Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, ca. 1868

Franklin Square is a beautiful oak lined park in Hobart, Tasmania, named after Sir John Franklin (1786-1847), the Arctic explorer and former Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land. The centrepiece of the park is a statue of Franklin, with an epitaph by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, which reads:

Not here! The white north hath thy bones and thou
Heroic sailor soul
Art passing on thine happier voyage now
Toward no earthly pole

The statue itself is a remarkable bronze masterpiece that stands on a plinth, surrounded by a two-tier fountain that has been constructed with sandstone. Installed in 1860, the statue was originally surrounded by a beautiful mound of stone adorned with water lilies and flowering creepers procured from the fountain waters.

In 1947, a commemoration celebration was held for the centenary since Franklin’s governance, where the Governor, Sir Hugh Binney, delivered a remarkable speech and placed a laurel wreath onto the statue. The celebration was also attended by other notable individuals, including Reverend Geoffrey Cranswick, the Lord Mayor Basil Osborne, alderman of the Hobart City Council, naval services and other community representatives.

Franklin Square and Hobart Town Hall were built on the site of the former Government House. The Franklin Monument is recorded on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.