Omission of Tasmania from maps of Australia

Map of Australia with Tasmania highlighted in red.

The Australian island state of Tasmania is sometimes omitted from maps of Australia. Such omissions are sometimes corrected after complaints from Tasmanians. ^[1]

Early omissions

In 1909, the Daily Post of Hobart reported that "very often maps of the Commonwealth... are not graced with the fair island of Tasmania depicted on them." ^[2]

1982 Commonwealth Games

During the 1982 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, performers created a map of Australia that omitted Tasmania. ^[3] English-born Australian poet Andrew Sant wrote "Off the Map" in response:

Performers making a map of Australia (excluding Tasmania) during the 1982 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Identity deleted,
Close to the Continent
Who wouldn't make a fuss?
There have been wars for less... ^[4]

2014 Commonwealth Games

The Australian swim team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games were issued training swimsuits with a stylised design featuring maps of Australia, along with kangaroos and emus. The animals obscured Tasmania, and the design was criticized for leaving Tasmania off the map. Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman called the omission "un-Australian and unforgivable". ^[3]

Other incidents

In 1995, Portugal issued a 200 escudo coin commemorating Portugal's discovery of Australia, but the map used did not include Tasmania.

The map in the board game Risk includes Australia, but not Tasmania

• Australian athletes at the 1956 Summer Olympics, held in Melbourne, wore tracksuits that featured a map of Australia excluding Tasmania. ^[5]
• The 1993 racing game Top Gear 2 omitted Tasmania from its Australasia's "country selection" screen map. ^[6]
• In 2000, the island was left off the Australian map in some of the official literature for the Sydney Olympics. ^[7]
• Tasmania was omitted from the map of Australia shown on some promotional posters of the 2008 film Australia . ^[3]
• In 2012, Arnott's Biscuits produced a biscuit in the shape of mainland Australia. ^[8]
• In 2013, South Australia adopted a logo that omitted Tasmania. ^[9]
• In 2016, Woolworths Supermarkets were forced to withdraw Australia Day caps from sale which featured a map of Australia without Tasmania. ^[1]
• In 2019, Thins Crisps released a Pie & Sauce flavour crisps which had a map of Australia with Tasmania omitted on the package. ^[10]
• Many editions of the board game Risk do not include Tasmania (or New Zealand). ^{[11] [12]}

State of Invisibility exhibition 2022

In October 2022, publicist Hamish Thompson held an exhibition called State of Invisibility highlighting the absence of Tasmania from national maps, souvenirs and federal memorabilia. This seemed to strike a chord, and was covered by local and national press throughout Australia. ^{[13] [14] [15]}

See also

• Omission of New Zealand from maps

References

1. Calligeros, Marissa (20 January 2016). "Woolworths forced to withdraw Australia Day merchandise after leaving Tasmania off hats". The Age . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
2. "Looking after Tasmania". Daily Post . Vol. II, no. 171. Tasmania, Australia. 20 July 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
3. Hope, Emma (25 July 2014). "We demand an apology for snub after Tasmania is left off the map again". The Mercury . Retrieved 1 February 2015.
4. Shakespeare, Nicholas (2010). In Tasmania: Adventures at the End of the World. Random House. p. 26. ISBN   9781407074153 . Retrieved 1 February 2015.
5. Image of Shirley Strickland in her Australian tracksuit at the 1956 Olympic Games
6. "Especial: Top Gear 2 (Super Nintendo) – Portal Sportszone" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 6 August 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
7. "Where the devil is Tasmania? | Bluffer's". bluffers.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012.
8. Jones, Grant (13 January 2012). "Tasmania is missing from inside a box of Australia-shaped biscuits by Arnott's Shapes". Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 1 February 2015.
9. Usher, Melanie. "South Australia New State logo". HIT 107 . Retrieved 1 February 2015.
10. Tassie Left Out Again, 26 February 2020, retrieved 28 February 2020
11. Hasbro. "Risk Game". Hasbro Shop. Hasbro. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
12. SMG Studio. "RISK: Global Domination". Steam. Valve. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
13. Cutting, Lucie (31 October 2022). "Left off the map, exhibition highlights the many times Tasmania has been forgotten". ABC News. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
14. Kidman, John (29 October 2022). "Exhibition casts Tassie as invisible state". The Western Australian. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
15. Bilton, Ross (November 2022). "What's Missing? A kitsch love song to the state of invisibility" . The Australian. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023.