Have you seen a depiction of Australia that leaves Tasmania off the map?
A gold earring in the shape of Australia, worn by a cafe owner in Launceston, is how it came to Hamish Thompson's attention.
He has since collected over 100 items that erroneously exclude the island state.
Thompson will hold an informal exhibition of the items in Fingal, on Tasmania's east coast.
A self-described "10-pound Pom" migrant from the United Kingdom, Thompson returned to the UK for almost three decades, before his eventual relocation to Tasmania last year.
Thompson's move came shortly after Brexit, the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, which influenced his interest in the "politics of otherness".
"I was really struck by how often Tasmania was excluded from objects and everyday things," he said.
"I found myself thinking that if people are having a conversation about inclusion and what it means to be Australian, might this be a way to explore the question of: 'How would it feel for you if it happened?'"
From whimsy to obsession
A love of collecting and antique shops placed Thompson in a perfect position to explore Tasmania's exclusion from depictions of Australia from a "pop culture level", but with some parameters.
"I was really conscious that anything I included couldn't have a practical reason why Tasmania couldn't be included," Thompson said.
"In all cases, it's structurally possible to do it."
Items purchased by Thompson must also be modestly priced, everyday objects and be created after Federation.
A detailed map of Australia is the most staggering item in Thompson's collection. The furthest south that gets a mention is the Bass Strait.
Thompson's caption alongside the image was to the point:
"It's hard to overstate how badly this map messed up. What were they thinking?" he said.
An illustrated tablecloth map of Australia goes as far as to include a thylacine, the Tasmanian tiger, but the island state itself is absent.
The effect of geographical exclusion
In his exploration of the topic, Thompson has spoken with Tasmanians about their feelings toward geographic exclusion.
"I think there is a jaded acceptance. Some treat it with dry humour," he said.
"Other people feel annoyed and disappointed that they're not included in the conversation."
A desk calendar from Parliament House features a Tasmania-less Australia, both in shape and as a sticker on the back of the item.
"So many of the representations are of national and federal identity — to be left off that, just seems crazy to me," Thompson said.
Thompson has created maps where other Australian states and territories are invisible and has shared these with Tasmanian friends.
"I think they were really struck by that," he said.
Thompson said there was "nothing like an analogy" to help make a point.
He is quick to point out that a comparison cannot be drawn to Indigenous experiences.
"I'm acutely aware of the shallowness of my understanding, it's made me really want to understand it more deeply," Thompson said.
An exhibition on absence
Thompson's free-of-charge exhibition is called State of Invisibility.
He will continue to collect items that erase Tasmania.
"A friend of mine has a thing called an OZ-SWAT fly swatter and the end is shaped like Australia," Thompson said.
"I would pay top dollar for that."
The breadth of items has been a confronting experience for his Tasmanian friends who have viewed the collection in its entirety ahead of the exhibition's opening.
"They found it quite challenging in parts. It's just something they're wrongly accustomed to now," Thompson said.
"The people who came said they're going to be looking for things now."
He hopes the exhibition will have enduring value as a conversation about Australian identity and belonging.
