Watch Her Burn

Watch Her Burn draws on the well documented history of Fanny Smith, a significant Tasmanian Aboriginal woman whose legacy continues to shape conversations around identity, survival, and cultural authority.   

Focusing on Fanny’s church and the ongoing tensions between her descendants and a local organisation, the work connects this deeply personal and historically significant legacy to important contemporary questions of governance, belonging and Aboriginal sovereignty. 

The work contributes to diverse programming by bringing a Palawa-led perspective into dialogue with internationally significant history, offering both cultural specificity and broad audience relevance. It is a new work grounded in the curiosity of how history is remembered, contested and experienced in the present. 

Its distinct strength lies in its family-centred lens, anchored in a well-documented and widely recognised historical figure, while remaining firmly focused on the lived realities and impacts of today. 

This interplay between historical resonance and contemporary experience positions the work as both deeply personal and politically engaged with the capacity to connect meaningfully across communities and contexts. 

Watch Her Burn serves as a catalyst for Aboriginal characters to navigate questions of identity, responsibility and bureaucracy. It gives voice to those conversations often held behind closed doors; between Aboriginal families and community, and among individuals working within government systems that make decisions on behalf of communities not represented at the table. 

Who has a right to make decisions on behalf of a culture?