Ferdinand von Mueller

1

The transcription given in Moyal (2003), pp. 1131-3, differs from that given here.

19/8/76.

Private

2

Private is also written at the head of a further two pages of the letter.

Gladly do I send, rev. and venerable friend, the few pages on Papua-plants.

3

B75.11.01, B76.04.07, B76.06.01.

— I have written to the Minister of mines,

4

William McLellan.

requesting that Professor M'Coys second decas

5

McCoy (1874-82), Decade 2, preface dated 26 April 1875.

may be forwarded to you. As regards the Victorian Exhibit. papers

6

Intercolonial Exhibition, Melbourne, 1866-7?

I have not even a copy myself, nor do I know how to get one, as none are left at the Exhib. Offices. I would advise a Sydney second hand Bookseller to try for you. These people are in communication with each other and would know whom to adress in Melbourne. Besides copies may turn just as easily up in Sydney. Since the undeserved ruin of my Department I have not even a servant in my rented unfurnished dwelling & as I rarely am in town, I do not know how to proceed. Indeed I have for years been eager to get the Exhibition-volumes myself. I am kept just as much out of the forest Department, though I suggested first the formation of the forest boards, as I am kept out of my own creation, the bot Garden since now more than three years, while an utterly unscientific Gardener

7

William Guilfoyle.

without any but Sydney local knowledge of a Nurseryman is the real colleague of Hooker with votes four times increased since I left, though no longer churches, cemeteries schools &c are supplied by hundreds of thousands (indeed any) plants, nor museum nor Laboratory nor literary work, nor Lithographics falls on the now enormous votes of the Gov. garden (it has no right to be called a bot Garden any longer). — Hence I do not know what the forest Department is doing, if indeed it does anything beyond planting the many thousand of trees, which I gave them when I was driven out of my establishment to make place for a Sydney Nurseryman without any experience, depriving me of even an office room, furniture, all conveniences of work, while my widow sister

8

Clara Wehl.

with a dozen children is almost starving. I had 300£ each of the last 3 years for my Department 8000£ annually in Sydney without even glass-house! but more than 50,000 have been spent in the bot Garden & Gov House Domain since I was thrown out. Moore

9

Charles Moore, Director, Sydney Botanic Garden.

feels flattered for it is endeavoured to copy all his laying out while spade & plough are cut through my plantations

10

Moore … plantations is a marginal insertion; its intended location is not marked.

Though I kept the wreck of the Department going out of my modest salary, it is only a wreck, for Ellery has irrespective of Salary £ 3000 working expenses (and besides buildings ) annually while 300 for me would not rent the buildings really required. I call all this unenglish; it may be colonial. Of course the whole future of my life is blighted, and I am for the Sake of a Sydney intruder, who has no claims on us, who never made the civil service examination, in reality ruined , as well domestically as financially, as well departmentally as almost scientifically, and so also socially. Though never touching billard balls or a play card, though never going to races or speculating in shares or anything else, I have now after nearly 30 years stay uninterruptedly working in Australia, while bringing some capital and an University Education, not a spot of my own and am forlorn without family, while here indeed hardly ever anyone approaches me, unless indeed my professional knowledge is to be taxed. Excuse, reverend friend the bitterness of the feelings of an undeservedly ruined man, who meant it well with Australia. What a difference, when I compare the apathy of Ellery &c &c here in contrast with the genuine scientific succour, which rallied around Hooker! My present Ministerial Chief, Mr McPherson

11

i.e. John MacPherson.

intends to improve my position by a few hundred £, but that gives me not back my living plants, which I require daily more than my Museum ones just like Hooker does at Kew; nor gives it back to me my laboratory, my trained staff, my real working votes &c.

I cannot assure you how grieved I am, that I ever came here . As an early explorer I could have become a Millionair! Jealousy at Kew hindered even my being the author of the Australia Flora, for which I toiled at the sacrifice of everything so many years, and altho' my real work for the Flora Australiana (badly called by B.

12

George Bentham.

Flora Australiensis) is much greater than Bentham's, I am suppressed in any allusions to the work, except by that sterling man, the Rev W. Woolls.

I have hitherto in vain proposed the following honorable rearrangement of the Department. Give the Sydney Nurseryman the 2000 acres of Melbourne Park land for the demanded landscape-Gardens, whatever that unlogic word may mean; give me back my 200 acres, with my Victoria Regia House, Palm House, Lake Islands, Geyserfountain, Pine Slopes &c &c Then we all here should be in the right position. But it seems, the infallibility dogma is to be maintained against all justice and reason.

Of course I would not think of staying as Gov Botanist out of my bot Garden, if I had not given up in good faith (while no faith is kept with me) my collections, commenced in my boyhood, and had I not disposed for half its value of the greater part of my Library to the Department Now at the age of 51 I have hardly the mental courage & physical strenght, to commence the work anew in Departmental life. Australia might have given me a modest freehold, when I was raised to the hereditary peerage (or a rank equivalent to it). I could then have settled in domestic life, my title being hereditary in direct line only. For these 20 years or more, all the Australian colonies had daily from me gratis professional information While it cost me a private fortune to keep up my knowledge and to acquire it. Something surely might have been done by a whole continent as large as Europe nearly, with a state expenditure of 10 millions annually for me also. As we are both under our oath of secresy , I can thus confide in you without asking any thing from you.

The person, who has my place, is the cousin of the wife of the Minister, who deprived me of my position for his sake.

13

On several occasions M claimed that William Guilfoyle was the cousin of the wife of James Casey, M's Minister at the time he was dismissed from the Garden.