From 1837 until 1843, the polar explorer Sir John Franklin was lieutenant-governor of Van Diemens Land. He was resident in Hobart during the visits of major French and British scientific expeditions, led respectively by Dumont d'Urville and James Clark Ross. Franklin and his wife Jane contributed much to Hobart cultural and intellectual life, founding the Tasmanian Natural History Society, basis of the later Royal Society.

When the Franklins left Van Diemens Land, Franklin led a naval expedition to the Canadian Arctic seeking the fabled 'North-West Passage' from Europe to the Pacific. He died in 1847 with all his men after his ships - the same Erebus and Terror that his friend Ross had brought to Hobart - became trapped in ice. His body was never found.

A symbol of the Franklins' support for science is a miniature 'temple' (now an art gallery) in Lenah Valley, a northern suburb a short drive north of the city, at the junction of Brushy Creek and Lenah Valley Roads. 'Ancanthe' was built by Jane Franklin in 1842-43 to be a centre for science and learning.

If you have a fast broadband internet connection, you can also view the media-rich version of this Pathways site, which includes an audio narrative and slideshow.