Ferdinand von Mueller

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MS annotation by W. Odgers, 16 December 1880: 'To Mr. Webb who will be good enough to bring this paper to the C. Sec's notice when the Conference assembles in Sydney.' For a published copy of this letter see B81.02.01.

Melbourne 12/12/80.

To the honorable Graham Berry, M.L.A.,

Chief Secretary of Victoria

Sir.

The intercolonial Conference

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An intercolonial conference was held in Melbourne, 26 November–3 December 1880, and was continued in Sydney, 13-27 January 1881

affording an opportunity to discuss questions and to devise measures, in which all the Australian Colonies unitedly are concerned, I venture to beg of you, as Premier of this colony, that you will be pleased to submit for the consideration of the conference, whether a new effort ought to be made to clear up the fate of Dr Leichhardt's party. The comparatively recent intelligence obtained of a supposed member of the Leichhardt-Expedition having died only 3 years ago on the Mulligan-River,

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Qld. A pastoralist, J. Skuthorpe, had recently claimed to have discovered traces of a member of Leichhardt's party, Classen, and also Leichhardt's diary, west of the Mulligan River. When challenged to produce the evidence, however, he failed to do so.

and furthermore traditions among the aborigines of N.W. Australia, that a survivor of that ill-starred party was still living among the tribes of an eastern branch of the Victoria-River,

4

NT.

hold out some hope, that by a methodical search along these water-courses and by frequent interrogations of the native tribes of the vicinity at last the actual fate of the lost small band of geographic pioneers could be ascertained, that possibly even some one of them might be rescued, and perhaps document of the expedition be discovered, while most certainly a vast extent of new country would become mapped.

It is far from me to ask for large means to accomplish this nationally Australian object; — a few hundred £ from each of the four most populated colonies with a small subsidy from the two others would suffice to send out an efficient party for following up the new traced

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traces?

of the lost explorers, especially as the tried services of Mr Ernest Giles as leader of a search party could be rendered available at the present time, and as the honorable Sir Thomas Elder would be almost sure to lend for so noble a purpose a limited number of Dromedaries (otherwise purchasable). Leichhardt has high claims on the universal gratitude of Australia; — he traversed through the territory of Queensland on exploring lines of fully 1500 miles, the whole of this extent of country taken up from his maps and now all along occupied by florishing settlements, from which annually large revenues are derived. — He advanced through South Australian dominions

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i.e. NT, then under South Australian administration.

already in his first expedition to the extent of 750 miles length, and is supposed to have perished in the northern portion of the South Australian territory; the greater part of the country explored by him there is now also occupied along his track by pastoral settlers near convenient harbours (as on his Queensland-lines) for commerce and throughout well-watered and fertile regions. He was sent out by New South Wales, of which Victoria was then an integral portion. The modest expenditure now solicited in the cause of humanity and simultaneously also for the further advancement of geography would be sure to bear results of practical importance to rural pursuits and trade, and therewith also to the further enrichment of these colonies. I need not remind you, honored Sir, that Mr Giles had as Gold-Medallist of the Royal Geographic Society of London this year for his only Colleague the distinguished Commander of the Vega,

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Lieutenant A. Louis Palander.

who with Baron Nordenskiold accomplished the eastern arctic passage, for which was striven several hundred years in vain. — It is also unnecessary to call to your recollection, that the efforts of obtaining tidings of Sir John Franklin's party have culminated this year in an heroic search in the polar regions not merely through the summer season, but incessently through a whole arctic winter, an event of bravery also unparalleled and unexampled in the worlds history before. Ships like the Erebus & Terror

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Sir John Franklin's ships.

may founder and leave no vestiges, but no Land-party, such as Leichhardts can go out of existence, without leaving remnants behind for a very long series of years; — thus to clear up the fate of Leichhardt's party is merely a matter of skill, perseverance and monetary means, and through the chance of using now dromedaries the search will neither be impeded by deserts nor seasons of drought.

I therefore humbly trust, that the distinguished Statesmen, who represent in the present Melbourne Conference all the Australian Colonies will grant the fund, sufficient to keep a small party for one year in the field on this highminded errand, especially as now the eyes of the whole world are more particularly directed to Australia through the international exhibition. Besides, while fulfilling our duties to a Martyr of Australian Geography, — justice would be done to a leading living explorer, in utilizing his talents and experiences, while still available, by which means unfailingly new additions will be made to the geography of our Continent, in which all the Australian Colonies are interested, and from which they will all derive in time large substantial and continuous benefit.