Document information
Physical location:
Land and Survey Office, Unregistered letters (Cons 5000), M6/806A, State Records Office of Western Australia, Perth. 76.08.07Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Malcolm Fraser, 1876-08-07. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/76-08-07>, accessed September 11, 2025
1
MS annotation: 'Answered 3 Oct 1876'; letter not found but see M to M. Fraser, 26 October 1876. MS annotation: 'Further reply 22 June 1877'l letter not found.
The honorable Malcolm Fraser, M.P.,
Surveyor General of West-Australia.
Sir
I have the honor to enquire, whether the Government of West Australia would be favorably
inclined, to make some exceptional concessions, which would facilitate my acquiring
landed property for a permanent estate on Denisons Downs at Sturt's Creek.
You will be aware, honorable Sir, that I was one of the four, who constituted Gregory's
party, when in 1856 we advanced from the Victoria-River
into the territory of your colony on lines of explorations not reached since again
by any one.
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Denison Plains, WA?
3
NT.
Ever since that time I have preserved a desire, to be the founder of an estate there,
but I have deferred taking any active step, as the area was so far out of reach of
communication; and hence I did not follow up some suggestions, which were made to
me by his Excellency Governor Weld and the honorable Fred. Barlee, by which I might,
prior to the establishment of responsible Government in your colony, have become [possessed]
of a small portion of the ground, which I helped to discover, and this on the most
generous terms, then offered by your Government. At my now advancing age and without
any landed property in any of the Australian colonies I am more eager than ever, to
connect my name and rank with a territory in your colony, especially with one which
I aided to explore. I may observe, should your Government be generously inclined to
facilitate the realisation of my wishes, that I have been now nearly 30 years in Australia
uninterruptedly, that in this long period I have necessarily been engaged at the sacrifice
of all private property and of domestic-life to advance the knowledge of resources
of all Australia by the elucidation of its plants, by pushing geographic research,
by a most extensive correspondence and by all other means within my reach.
If under encouraging circumstances I could commence to form an estate in your colony,
I would make every effort to concentrate such worldly means as I may have on its extension;
for it is particularly pleasing to me to think, that I should thus also be connected
with a country, so large as Russia in Europe, a country whose plants to a greater
extent than any one else I rendered known and in the welfare and progress of which
I shall always take a vivid interest
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
with deep obedience
Baron Ferd. von Mueller,
C.M.G., M.D., FR.S.
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MS annotation, dated 21 June 1877 and initialled by Fraser: 'Commr Crown Lands | Baron
Mueller's letter was, I think, written to you. If so please inform him of purport
of Lord Carnarvon's reply. If the letter was addressed to me the reply had better
go from this office.' A minute dated 22 July says that M was 'Written to accordingly'
(Land and Survey Office, Unregistered letters (Cons 5000), M6/806b, State Records
Office of Western Australia, Perth), but the letter has not been found. A copy of
Lord Carnarvon's letter, as follows, is attached to the MS:
Downing Street
13 April 1877
Sir,
I have had before me your Despatch, No 1. of the 12th of January respecting Dr Von
Mueller's application for a free grant of land in Western Australia on account of
his Services in connection with Mr Gregory's exploring Expedition in 1856.
I should have been glad if it had been in my power to accede to this request having
regard to the fact that the Exploration was undertaken at a time when the interior
of Australia was comparatively but little known, but I concur with you in thinking
that any services which were there rendered by Dr. Von Mueller would be more properly
recognised by the Colony by which the Expedition was organised and sent out.
I have &c
(Sd) Carnarvon
Governor Robinson C.M.G.
&c&c&c
Carnarvon was mistaken in believing that the Expedition had been initiated by one
of the Australian colonies. Although the Colonial Office had been of the view that
the expedition should be sponsored jointly with the governments of the Australian
colonies, it eventually sponsored and funded it alone, 'ostensibly to avoid the delay
of protracted correspondence', with responsibility for local organization delegated
to the colony of New South Wales. See Threadgill 1922, vol. 1, p 77.