This extraordinary collection was formed during the lifetime of Sir William Crowther, and was presented by him to the State Library of Tasmania over a period from 1964 until his death in 1981.
The Crowther Library houses a fascinating collection of books, pamphlets, maps, manuscripts, works of art and museum objects, relating to Tasmania and many other subjects. These include whaling, the history of medicine, the English literary figures Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, book collecting, and works printed in Pacific Island languages. Like the Allport Library, it includes many works which are not available in any other Tasmanian collection.
Altogether, the library contains about 15,000 printed and manuscript items, as well as photographs, works of art and artefacts, including an outstanding collection of scrimshaw. The collection is much as Sir William developed it, though books, manuscripts and other material relating to whaling are occasionally added to the collection.
William Edward Lodewyk Hamilton Crowther (1887-1981) was knighted in 1964 for his services to the community, in particular the presentation of his collection to the State Library. As well as his medical career, his long and varied life included service during the First World War, active membership of professional and cultural organizations, writing on historical and anthropological subjects and collecting.
Members of the Crowther family have contributed substantially to the Tasmanian community since Sir William's great-grandfather, Dr William Crowther (1788-1839), arrived in Hobart in 1825. The Library is named in honour of his son (and Sir William Crowther’s grandfather), William Lodewyk Crowther (1817-85), who was a medical practitioner, businessman and politician. You can find further information about the family and the Library:
There are also many family papers in the Library.
The collection ranges from examples of early printing to relatively recent works on many subjects. There are numerous very rare pieces of Australiana, among them several early Tasmanian items of which no other copies are known to exist (such as an 1829 Murray's sheet almanac and an 1835 catalogue of John Glover's paintings).
There are many Crowther family papers; records of the Derwent Bank; papers of Captain James Kelly; an extensive collection of the logs of whaling and other vessels; papers of Carrel Inglis Clark; and numerous miscellaneous documents and collections.
There are oil paintings, water-colours and prints by John Glover, Benjamin Duterrau, GTWB Boyes, Knut Bull, TE Chapman, William Duke, TC Midwood, Margaret Sarah Cleburne, Simpkinson de Wesselow and many other artists. A selection of works is always on public display. All of the pictures have been digitsed and are available through the State Library's catalogue TALISPlus.
The collection includes many striking examples of scrimshaw (designs etched onto whales' teeth and bone) as well as nineteenth-century medical, scientific and pharmaceutical instruments and containers; and miscellaneous objects from Tasmania's past.
One of the highlights of the WL Crowther Library is the album of more than two hundred photographs of Hobart, other Tasmanian towns and parts of Victoria taken by Charles Abbott, Alfred Abbott and other photographers between 1857 and 1863 and collected by Charles Abbott. There are albums of photographs taken by other nineteenth- and early twentieth- century photographers such as the Anson Brothers, H.H.Baily, J.W.Beattie, Samuel Clifford and members of the Spurling family; as well as many single photographs. Most of the photographs have been digitised and are available through the State Library's catalogue TALISPlus.
The Crowther Library is a working collection, accessible to all researchers. Many of the items in the collection are both rare and fragile, so it is a collection of last resort - if another copy of an item is readily accessible elsewhere in the State Library (other than in the Allport Library), then the Crowther copy will not normally be made available. Items in the Library are not available for loan.
Photocopying, photographic and scanning services are available. Works created or published before 1901, as well as any other material which is fragile or vulnerable to damage, may not be photocopied. See the reproduction fees page for associated charges.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 6.00pm
Last Saturday of each month, 9.30am - 2.30pm
Street address
91 Murray Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000
(on the corner of Bathurst Street)
Telephone and fax
(03) 6233 7474 or 6233 7498 (telephone)
(03) 6231 0927 (fax)
