Newspaper cutting about a performance in Hobart to raise money for the search for Sir John Franklin

Sir John Franklin was Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (modern Tasmania) from 1837 to 1843. In 1845 he led an expedition to discover the North West Passage which ultimately ended in tragedy with all lives lost.

By 1847, concerns were beginning about the fate of the expedition. Over the next decade, further expeditions would be sent to search for Franklin and his crew. He and his wife, Lady Jane Franklin, were popular in Tasmania and when Lady Franklin raised money to search for the Franklin Expedition, many Tasmanians supported her efforts. This news cutting shows an advertisement for a theatrical performance of ‘The Painter of Ghent’ and other entertainment from which the proceeds will be given to Lady Franklin.