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On Saturday afternoon 6 March 1869 the remains
of William Lanne or as he was generally called,
"King Billy," the last male Aboriginal of Tasmania,
were committed to the grave in presence of a
very large concourse of the citizens.
On the announcement of the "death of the last man,"
it was generally supposed that the funeral would
be made a public affair, and that some part in
the arrangements would be taken by the Government;
the first announcement made, however, was simply to
the effect that the funeral would move from the establishment
of Mr. Millington, Undertaker, of Murray-street,
at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and inviting friends of the
deceased to attend. As previously stated by us,
the body had been removed from the Dog and
Partridge Hotel, where the man died, to the
dead-house at the Hospital, and on an order
being sought for its removal to the undertakers,
it was declined, on the ground that as the body
was of the greatest scientific value, the authorities
were determined to do all in their power to
protect it. An application to the Colonial Secretary
met with the same reply, and the hon. Sir Richard Dry
sent positive instructions to Dr. Stokell that the body
of "King Billy" should be protected from mutilation,
on this subject, however, we have more to communicate presently.
On its being ascertained that the authorities were taking no
steps respecting the obsequies, the matter was taken in
hand by Mr. J. W. Graves, and invitations were
issued to a number of old colonists and natives,
requesting their attendance, the funeral being
postponed until 2 o'clock. At that hour between
fifty and sixty gentlemen presented themselves
at the institution, and found all in readiness for
the burial. Rumours had, meanwhile, got afloat
to the effect that the body had been tampered
with, and Capt. McArthur, Mr. Colvin, and
some others interested in the deceased, from his
connection with the whaling trade, requested
that the coffin should be opened in order to
satisfy their minds that the ceremony of burial
was not altogether a "vain show." This was
done by Mr. Graves, and the body was seen, by
those who desired to see it, in the condition
which will be hereafter described. The lid was
then again screwed down, and at the suggestion
of some of those present the coffin was sealed. In
connection with this part of the proceedings a
singular accident occurred. On a seal being
asked for, it was found that there was not such a
thing in the institution, but on a search being
made in the dispensary an old brass stamp was
found, and on its being impressed upon the wax,
it left the simple word "world." What such an
odd seal could have been cut for is unknown, but
its turning up under such circumstances, and its
accidental use to seal down the coffin of the last
man of his race, is a circumstance so singular as
to be worth recording. Having been duly sealed,
the coffin was covered with a black opossum skin
rug, fit emblem of the now extinct race to which
the deceased belonged ; and on this singular
pall were laid a couple of native spears and
waddies, round which were twined the ample
folds of a Union Jack, specially provided by the
shipmates of the deceased. It was then mounted
upon the shoulders of four white native lads,
part of the crew of the Runneymede, who
volunteered to carry their aboriginal countryman
to his grave. Their names were, John Silvester,
John Timms, James Davis, and George Attwell.
The pall was borne by Captain Hill, of the
Runneymede, himself a native of Tasmania, and
by three colored seamen, John Bull, a native of
the Sandwich Islands, Henry Whalley, a half-
caste native of Kangaroo Island, S. A., and
Alexander Davidson, an American. The chief
mourners were Captain McArthur, of the whaling
barque Aladdin, and Captain Bayley, owner
of the whaling barque Runneymede. Among the
mourners were nearly all the masters of vessels in
port, and many gentlemen connected with the
whaling trade. There was also a large muster of
old colonists and native born Tasmanians. As
the procession moved along Liverpool and Murray
streets to St. David's Church it gathered strength,
and was followed by a large concourse of spectators.
The Rev. F. H. Cox read the service, and
preceded the body to the grave, clothed in his
surplus. On leaving the church the procession numbered
from a hundred to a hundred and twenty
mourners, and the event re-called to the minds of
the old colonists present many an interesting
episode of the early days of the colony, and of
that race, the last male representative of which
was about to be consigned to his tomb. At the
cemetery the Rev. Mr. Cox read the second
portion of the impressive burial service of the
English Church, and the grave closed over
"King Billy" the breast-plate on whose coffin
bore the simple inscription "William Lanne,
died March 3rd, 1869. Aged, 34 years."
MUTILATION OF THE BODY.
Notwithstanding the precautions above referred
to, the body of poor "King Billy" has not been
respected, nor does the grave around which so
many persons gathered on Saturday, contain a
vestige of Tasmania's "last man." It is a
somewhat singular circumstance that although it
has been known for years that the race was be-
coming extinct, no steps have ever been taken in
the interests of science to secure a perfect skeleton
of a male Tasmanian aboriginal. A female skeleton is
now in the Museum, but there is no male, consequently
the death of "Billy Lanne" put our surgeons on the alert.
The Royal Society, anxious to obtain the skeleton for
the Museum, wrote specially to the Government upon the
subject, setting forth at length the reasons why,
if possible, the skeleton should be secured to
them. The Government at once admitted their
right to it, in preference to any other institution,
and the Council expressed their willingness at
any time to furnish casts, photographs, and all
other particulars to any scientific society
requiring them. Government, however, declined
to sanction any interference with the body,
giving positive orders that it should be decently
buried; nor did they feel at liberty to give
their sanction to any future action which might
be taken; although it is needless to say that so
valuable a skeleton would not have been permitted to
remain in the grave, and possibly no
opposition would have been made to its removal,
had it been taken by those best entitled to hold
it in the interests of the public and of science,
and without any violation of decency.
Besides the Royal Society, it seems that there
were others who desired to secure Billy Lanne's skeleton,
and who were determined to have it in spite of the
positive orders of the Colonial Secretary.
The dead-house at the Hospital was entered on Friday night,
the head was skinned and the skull carried away,
and with a view to conceal this proceeding, the
head of a patient who had died in the hospital
on the same day, or the day previously, was
similarly tampered with and the skull placed
inside the scalp of the unfortunate native, the
face being drawn over so as to have the appear-
ance of completeness, On this mutilation being
discovered the members of the Council of the
Royal Society were greatly annoyed, and feeling
assured that the object of the party who had
taken the skull was afterwards to take the body
from the grave, and so possess himself of the perfect
skeleton, it was resolved to take off the feet and
hands and to lodge them in the museum, an opera-
tion which was carefully done. The funeral then
took place as above described. On the mutilation
of the bodies in the dead-house becoming known,
a letter was addressed by the Colonial Secretary
to Dr. Stokell, requiring a report upon tho case,
and we have it upon the very highest authority
that Dr. Stokell reported the circumstances much
as they are described above, informing the
Colonial Secretary that the only persons who
had been present in the dead-house during Friday
night were a surgeon, who is one of the
honorary medical officers, his son, who is a
student, and the barber of the institution, and
neither of those persons were seen to remove
anything from the hospital. It is believed, how-
ever, that the skull was thrown over the wall at
the back of the dead-house with a string attached
to it, and that it was scoured by a confed-
erate stationed in the creek on the other side.
Those reports occasioned a very painful impression
among those present at the funeral, and a
deputation consisting of Messrs. Colvin,
McArthur, and Bayley,waited upon Sir Richard
Dry in the evening, and requested that steps
should be taken to have the grave watched
during the night. Sir Richard at once acquiesced
in the proposal, and instructions were given to
the police, but in some way they miscarried,
possibly owing to the fact that they were not
communicated through His Worship the Mayor,
and the consequence was that the grave was found
disturbed yesterday morning, when Constable
Mahony reported that the earth had been re
moved, that a skull had been found lying on the
surface, that a part of the coffin was visible, and
that the ground surrounding the grave was
saturated with blood. During the morning this
report spread through the city, and several
hundreds of persons visited the cemetery in the
afternoon. On the facts being communicated to
Sir Richard Dry, he, in company with the
hon. Attorney-General, visited the grave, where
they were met by Mr. J. W. Graves. The skull
found on the surface was buried in their presence,
and a general examination of the ground
was made. Whether any other step will be
taken respecting the violation of the grave
we are unable to say. The visit of ministers
to the grave was, we understand, consequent
upon a report that the coffin had been
removed, and had this been the case a
search warrant would have been issued
at their instance, as executors of "Billy Lanne,"
with instructions in the event of any portions of
the body being found in the course of its execution,
that they should be taken possession of Sir Richard
and Mr. Dobson satisfied themselves, however, of the
presence of the coffin, and therefore no step was taken,
as it is doubtful whether any legal property in the
body exists. Many rumors are afloat as to
what has become of the body, and the men
employed in the cemetery state that blood
was traced from the grave to the gate opposite
the stores of the Anglo-Australian Guano Company
in Salamanca Place, but that there the
traces were lost. There can be little doubt
that the body has been secured by the individual
who made off with the head, and possibly the fact
that it is minus feet and hands may yet lead to the
restoration of that important portion, as the skeleton
will be comparatively valueless unless perfect.
We have been informed by the Hon. Sir Richard Dry that
Dr. Crowther waited upon him on Saturday morning prior
to the mutilation being reported, and made a request
that the body should be granted to him, in order that he
might secure the skeleton for the Royal College of Surgeons, England.
Sir Richard Dry informed the Doctor of the
prior claim of the Royal Society, and expressed
his opinion that if the skeleton was to be
preserved at all, it should be in the
Hobart Town Museum, where all scientific
enquiries respecting the aboriginal race would
most probably be made. Dr. Crowther concurred
in this view, and received an assurance from Sir
Richard that, should any future opportunity
present itself of securing a skeleton for the
Royal College of Surgeons from among the graves
of the aborigines without violating the feelings
of individuals or of the community, that should
he Sir Richard continue in office, no impedient
would be placed in Dr. Crowther's way. The
report and other documents connected with the
proceedings at the dead-house of the hospital
have been referred to the Chairman of the
Board of Management of that institution, and it
is understood that an inquiry will be at once
instituted.
Source:
The Mercury, Hobart, Tasmania
Monday 8 March 1869
page 2
Transcription, janilye 2014
NOTE
Today's Aboriginal community after a very long campaign succeeded in obtaining the return of Lanne's skull from Edinburgh and his remains were buried in his tribal land,
The mutilation and removal of King Billy's body led to the Anatomy Act of 1869 being passed in the Tasmanian Parliament, The Act made it law that medical experiments of any sort could only take place if the deceased had agreed to it before they died or the relatives gave permission.

From David Davies, 1973 'The last of the Tasmanians', Frederick Muller, London. 235-6
Dr. Crowther of the hospital vainly applied to the Government for permission to send the skeleton to the Royal College of Surgeons in London. However, a rather macabre note was struck at Lanne’s funeral, for it was found that the head of the corpse was missing. During the night after the burial the rest of the body was dug up and several parts removed. Crowther was blamed for the removal of the head and his honorary appointment as surgeon at the Colonial Hospital terminated, but it is interesting to note that the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons awarded him during 1869 a gold medal and a Fellowship of the College, the first instance of an Australian having been given this honour.