Dr Tessa Smith
Assistant Collection Manager, Palaeontology, Museums Victoria

The Honourable Jeremy Rockliff MP
Premier

06/10/2026

Dear Premier Rockliff,

Re: Support for Dr Simon Grove and Dr David Hocking at TMAG

I am writing to express my strong support for Dr Simon Grove and Dr David Hocking and to ask that you take action to ensure that their Curator positions are not removed from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) as will occur under the current proposal. I undertook a Cadetship at TMAG with both Simon and David in 2024/2025 and know their skills and contributions well. I was a Hobart resident between 2017 and 2025.

I am deeply concerned about the prospect of their positions being cut and the impact this could have on TMAGs operations. Losing these two experienced and highly knowledgeable scientific staff would represent a complete loss of institutional knowledge and expertise in some areas of entomology, vertebrate biology and palaeontology. It could also affect the museum’s ability to maintain the high standard of research, collections management, exhibitions, public engagement and education that Tasmanians expect from their state museum.

Both Simon and David currently contribute to all of these areas, including collaborative palaeontological research on Triassic early-reptiles with the University of New England, registering thousands of specimens that are donated to the Museum each year into the collection (including many insects which have strong agricultural importance), curate exhibitions including The World of Beetles (2025) and the Islands to Ice refurbishment. They also perform public engagement and education via regular talks to the radio and at Beaker St science festival.  The Senior Curator of Zoology Dr Cathy Byrne will not have the capacity to take on all of these duties which are currently being performed by Simon and David.

Palaeontology is a popular topic with the general public. David Hocking may currently be one of the only palaeontologists employed in the state and works to make his discoveries accessible to the public. Without David, palaeontological work would either cease or only be undertaken by museums and universities from outside of Tasmania. While being an excellent researcher, he is also a great human being who is able to juggle this career alongside parenting three young children.

On the other hand, Simon Grove has decades of experience working with insects and marine invertebrates. Without Simons contributions the number of new endemic species being discovered would decrease, and access to the state collections for visiting researchers would also decrease, slowing their ability to also describe these new species or their ecology. His work was recognised in 2019 when he won the Australian Natural History Medallion.

TMAG is a publicly funded cultural institution with a responsibility to preserve Tasmania’s heritage, support research and scholarship, and make its collections and knowledge accessible to the community. The people who have developed specialist expertise and contributed to these responsibilities are an important part of the institution’s strength. I believe Dr Simon Grove and Dr David Hocking should be given the opportunity to continue their work at TMAG. I respectfully ask you to listen to the concerns of the museum community and the broader Tasmanian public and to take whatever action is available to you to support their continued employment.

I hope you will consider the importance of retaining experienced staff and the value that Simon Grove and David Hocking bring to TMAG. I would appreciate your response outlining what action you are able to take on this matter.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Tessa Smith