Launceston and the river Tamar 1832

John Glover painted "Launceston and the River Tamar" during a period of immense colonial expansion in Australia. Glover, an English artist who emigrated to Tasmania in 1831, sought to capture the essence of the Australian landscape. Here, we see a picturesque view of the Tasmanian landscape, but it is important to remember that this land was not uninhabited. The painting presents a romanticized view, subtly erasing the presence and history of the Indigenous Palawa people, who were the traditional custodians of this land for thousands of years. The colonial narrative often portrayed Australia as an untouched wilderness, ready to be claimed and cultivated. Glover’s style, with its soft light and idyllic composition, invites viewers to see the landscape as peaceful and welcoming, yet it obscures the violence and displacement that accompanied European settlement. This painting, beautiful as it is, prompts us to reflect on the complexities of colonial history. It asks us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out, and how these omissions shape our understanding of the past and present.