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RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
As the largest marsupial carnivore of modern times and one of the most well-known recently extinct species, the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger Thylacinus cynocephalus, continues to be a source of scientific interest and public fascination. Today, over 800 individual thylacine specimens are lodged in the world’s museums, most acquired during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This paper describes the process of tracking the fate of a single thylacine that was captured and killed in 1902 as an example of how, after entering the museum system, its remains were shared between researchers and institutions. Specimens obtained from this animal are now held in four natural history museum collections: three in Australia and one in Europe.
Key Words: thylacine, Tasmanian tiger, marsupial extinction, Australian Museum, Macleay Museum, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
Published Papers
The Royal Society of Tasmania acknowledges, with deep respect, the traditional owners of this land, and the ongoing custodianship of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The Society pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples have survived severe and unjust impacts resulting from invasion and dispossession of their Country. As an institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, the Royal Society of Tasmania recognises Aboriginal cultural knowledge and practices and seeks to respect and honour these traditions and the deep understanding they represent.
On 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
