The Bounty Years, Print

On the right, a thylacine stands alert and illuminated, its striped form fading into darkness. On the left, a Martini–Henry rifle stands tall and cold, its presence ominous and historically precise. This was the rifle most commonly used during the peak of thylacine extermination in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Issued widely across the British Empire, the Martini–Henry found its way into the hands of colonial settlers and bounty hunters. From 1888 to 1909, the Tasmanian government offered a cash bounty—£1 per adult and 10 shillings per pup—for every thylacine killed. More than 2,000 official payments were made, and the true toll was likely much higher.