Document information

Physical location:

GRS 1/1886/1158, letters received in the Office of the Minister Controlling the Northern Territory, State Records, Adelaide. 86.12.05

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John Cockburn, 1886-12-05. 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/86-12-05>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
See also M to J. Cockburn, 15 August 1886 (in this edition as 86-08-15a).
Melbourne 5. Dec. 1886.
The honorable the Minister of Education, Adelaide.
Sir.
In continuation of a former sending I have the honor to forward now a case, containing the last portion of the collections of plants, formed by Lieutenant Dittrich
2
See H. Dittrich to M, December 1885.
during Mr Lindsays recent expedition. In very many cases the whole of the specimens of the particular plants gathered have been sent to you, and where a division of the samples took place, the greater moyety
3
moiety?
was dispatched so that hardly one fourth of the whole is retained for the Government collections here, and in no case the better portion. The dreadful drought of the interior necessarily militated much against botanic pursuits; but the sending now made is of particular interest as showing more fully the geographic distribution of numerous plants of the interior; and thus many species have also now been traced from Sturt's Creek
4
WA.
to the eastern boundary of the South Australian territory. Perhaps it may be worthy of your consideration, whether from these gatherings a special exhibit can be made for the Jubilee Exhibition forthcoming in Adelaide,
5
Jubilee International Exhibition, Adelaide, 1887.
as in an Atlas form a selection of the specimens would give a good idea of the vegetation of Central Australia.
I have the honor, to be Sir, your obedient
Ferd. von Mueller.
6
MS file annotation presumably by Cockburn, 15 December 1886: 'Thank Baron Von Mueller for the generous manner in which he distributed the specimens also for the suggestion as to binding in Atlas form'. M's letter was forwarded to the Director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden on 15 December with the minute: 'Would Dr Schomburgk kindly arrange the specimens for binding should he be of opinion that they are in a sufficiently well preserved condition.' Schomburgk replied on 5 January 1887: 'Lieut Dittrich's plants are in such a badly prepared condition that I cannot recommend them for exhibition. Not only are the specimens too small but they have also lost their leaves and flowers. The plants have been arranged in the general Herbarium of the Botanic Garden. Only a few being new to that collection.'