LETTER TO LAUNCESTON'S MAYOR ALBERT VAN ZETTEN

Cr. Albert van Zetten

Mayor City of Launceston

Default Chair QVMAG Trustees

 Date: Friday, 20 November 2020 at 7:21 pm 

To: Mayor , Councillor Danny Gibson , Michael Stretton Cc: Premier Gutwein , Minister Jaensch for Planning , Minister for Local Govt , Contact Us , Peter Sims , Contact Us

Subject: RE: The priminghana petroglyphs and NAIDOC .

Dear Albert and Councillors, ................................ Thank you for your email it is much appreciated albeit that despite you telling me on multiple occasions that the QVMAG had ‘accessioned’ the ppetroglyphs, neither you, nor Council, or indeed the QVMAG, have ever provided any evidence whatsoever of that being the case – except by assertion. ................................ It is something of a relief that a handback is finally in process, such as it is, blighted by bureaucratic humbug as it is, marked by cultural insensitivity as it is, retarded by serial administrative ineptitude as it is, and coming way, way too late as it does. If only the lessons to be learnt have been, there may well be a way forward emerging even yet. ................................ I can accept that ‘accessioning’ may have happened ‘contemporaneously’ in an effort to bureaucratically smooth over the embedded histories. However, any evidence of ‘accessioning’ happening in either the 1960s/70s/80s/90s has not been made available – arguably it does not exist. In the absence of evidence for the petroglyph’s ‘accessioning’ happening except by recent Machiavellian convenience, this renders your claim an exemplar of ‘truth by assertion’. Thus, your assertion is an unsubstantiated statement of ‘edited bureaucratic history’ – and in the end unavoidably diminishing. ................................ As you are no doubt aware, I’ve requested a copy of the ‘original accessioning document’ on a number of occasions and consistently that has been denied me on the grounds that when “edited documents/data” – paraphrased – is available they can be made available ‘to the public’. Such bureaucratic humbug fails the ‘pub test’ and any other class of evidence provision in any context – least of all in law. ................................ As I have said before, it is well past time to acknowledge that the QVMAG had never ‘formally accessioned’ this cultural material in a timely or formal way, as it clearly hasn’t been prior to this current process. ‘Ownership’ may even have been assumed on the grounds of ‘adverse possession’ and on the prevailing assumption that Truganini was the last of the First Tasmanians. This would not be unusual however, given the circumstances of the times and there will be many more instances of such ‘history smoothing’ if the truth be told – at the QVMAG and elsewhere. ................................ Council might only ‘deaccession’ – renounce formal ownership – the petroglyphs if they had ever been accessioned. If they were accessioned, how were they, when were they and by whom? ................................ The lack of evidence provided by the institution’s General Manager and Council’s General Manager’s (AKA CEO’s) inability and/or unwillingness to supply any unedited original documentation to establish ‘accessioned ownership’ is significant. Clearly the evidence does not appear to exist and this is more than troubling in regard to Council’s truthfulness, the QVMAG’s trustworthiness and by extension Council’s accountability and transparency right across the board! ................................ Peter Sims’ dedicated scholarship is, and should be, the ‘gold standard’ in regard to informing cultural decision making at hand here. It does you no credit at all to be attempting to garner unearned credibility on the strength and diligence of his work and his launching of his monograph at the QVMAG as you seem to be doing. ................................ Yesterday, November 19, we learnt a great deal about the lack of truth-telling and trustworthiness on behalf of government in regard to the potential criminal activity on the part of some Australian defence force personnel. This news is shocking. Also, it was revealed yesterday that Tasmania’s government is Australia’s most secretive. By extension this reflects poorly on the City of Launceston given the city’s propensity to rely upon SECTION 62/2 of the Local Govt. Act and the secrecy plus bureaucratic distortion it can facilitate and arguably does all too often. ................................ That famous quote of Saint Augustine’s, “The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself” rings somewhat loudly in all this. Why not let the lion loose? ................................ Somewhat poignantly, John 8:32 also comes to mind ... “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The Quran also has something to say to its adherents ... “Confound not the Truth with falsehood nor conceal it knowingly”. Also, Buddha tells us that there are three things that cannot hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth. In any case, the observance of such wisdom found in the scriptures would be a good thing indeed. ................................ Personally, I have direct and personal evidence, and experience, of ‘bureaucratic bungling’ in regard to a gift to the QVMAG’s collections. Then came a rather clumsy attempt of a ‘cover up’. This being the case when it came to accessioning, it does no credit to the QVMAG’s institutional trustworthiness at all, when a ‘fess up’ would be much more helpful – and as in John 8:32, liberating. ................................ As in South Australia right now, when the truth is outed, advances can be, will be, and are being made. Substantiated and truthful expert advice exceeds political opportunism and ideology at every turn and it always will. ................................ As a regional city, Launceston is no longer the leader it once could lay claim to being, in the main because of faltering leadership and deluded self-assessment. The evidence is that the city is stagnating, and is incrementally losing its heritage status. Concerningly, the city has the highest rates of any regional city in Australia and along with its default position of secrecy, all this is an enormous burden for Launcestonians to bear on top of the COVID-19 crisis and climate change. ................................ It seems that ‘accessioning’ at the QVMAG may well have been a discretionary activity up until the present – and less than a diligent activity as is increasingly in evidence. Concerningly, it remains unendorsed by Council, the institution’s default ‘trustees’. ................................ In a ‘cultural institution’ in the colonial aftermath, as it is with the QVMAG and Tasmania’s dark, shameful and somewhat gothic histories, all this must be recognised. As an institution owned by the City of Launceston, and by extension its citizenry, the QVMAG must be trustworthy and accountable. I submit that this is far from being so. ................................ Your attempts at ‘truth by assertion’, contrary to any evidence as it is, does not serve either the institution or the QVMAG’s Community of Ownership and Interest, or indeed yourself, at all well. Likewise, Council’s non-delivery on appropriate, accountable and trustworthy governance for the QVMAG and Council’s largely “Machiavellian godless, scheming self-service" is bewildering to say the very least. ................................ History will be your judge and thus far Tasmania’s somewhat dark and distorted ‘histories’ diminish all who cling to them for whatever reason. As Nelson Mandela has alerted us, “history will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” ................................ In closing, somewhat interestingly the literature talks about “plaster casts being taken of the petroglyphs at Mt Cameron West” and implying that the QVMAG was somehow involved has gone unnoticed, unreported and overlooked. Indeed, there has been a deathly silence albeit that there are reports of one such cast being in the QVMAG collection, possibly currently, but not recognised as such apparently by current staff. This is an important historic artefact and if it has been destroyed, as has been suggested that it could have been, that would be a shameful act indeed. That it’s very existence is unacknowledged, that speaks volumes about the QVMAG, it’s management, its institutional credibility and its governance. ................................ All that said, I look forward to your, and Council’s, carefully considered advice and positioning in the light of the information available. ................................ Yours sincerely, Ray Norman

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