The event, which served as the Launceston Historical Society's October Meeting, was held at the Queen Victoria Museum and hosted by local historian Nigel Burch.

He is the author of five books on mining in the Tamar region, and three major biographies of Tasmanian premiers, one of which, entitled The Little Skipper, is about Sir John Evans.

"He wasn't especially clever but he was decent and he had sense," he said.

"I liked some of the pearls of wisdom and experience he expounded after a life-time in politics."

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Sir John Evans was born in 1855 in Liverpool, England and migrated with his family to Tasmania when he was four years old.

In his memoir, The Life Story of Sir John Evans, published in 1934, he recalled embarking on a year-long voyage through a list of Asian ports with his parents and siblings after completing his education in Hobart.

"The trip itself was a marvellous one, and the arrival at the various ports visited gave me an opportunity of giving vent to all my sea-wandering passions," he said.

After Sir John's favorable reaction to sea-life, his father, a merchant seaman, arranged an apprenticeship for him on his vessel, which traded to China and Japan. This came much to the dismay of his mother.

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This experience proved valuable for him as he later became the master of a Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company owned steamship, at the young age of 27.

However, in 1886, after being found responsible for the wreck of a separate ship, his seagoing career was promptly ended.

Mr Burch said that immediately following his sacking, Sir John became depressed and suicidal.

However, after much encouragement from friends and family, his mental health recovered and in 1893 he became the Hobart manager for shipping agents Huddart Parker.

While employed there, Sir John's was nominated as a candidate for the Kingborough Electorate in the House of Assembly.

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By 1904 he was elected as the premier of Tasmania, before stepping down voluntarily in 1909.

His 40 years in parliament, from 1897 to 1937, made him the longest-serving member in Tasmania.

During his tenure he was directly involved in many state-focused improvements, including the introduction of the Hare-Clark voting system and the creation of free education.

He was a proponent of Tasmania federating, an advocate of the hydroelectric industry and a part of the Australian flag committee.

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He was knighted by King George V in 1925 for the services he had rendered.

Sir John Evans died aged 87 on October 2, 1943 in Hobart, just 18 days shy of he and his wife's 60^th wedding anniversary.

Mr Burch said he was surprised there was never a memorial commissioned to recognise Sir John's service to Tasmania.

"There are statues of many lesser men," he said.

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