Document information

Physical location:

A251 Gunn correspondence, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 53.07.07

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ronald Gunn, 1853-07-07. 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//letters/1850-9/1853/53-07-07-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

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MS envelope front: 'Ronald Gunn, Esq. J.P. | near Launceston | Van Diemens Land '.
Melbourne, Collin Street, N 70 East
7. July 1853.
Sir
Upon the suggestion of his Excellency Governor La Trobe, I take the liberty of adressing this few lines to you with my greatest desire to establish henceforth a botanical correspondence and a mutual exchange of plants with a gentleman, who has so largely contributed towards the development of the Tasmanian Flora.
Having been engaged for nearly 6 years now more or less in the examination of Australian plants, I am happy to say, that I am enabled to offer named specimens of a large number of species foreighn to your shores for such as I not yet possess from V.DL.
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Van Diemen's Land.
Should your time, Sir, and the [store] of your collections permit this, I would find you a list of those which I would be delighted to receive for the increase of the material for my " Flora Australiae universa ." and would return you an equal number, which will prove, I believe, entirely new to your collection.
Could you spare me 2 specimens of each species, I would acquire then one for my private collections, giving such in return as I obtained before the office I am holding now was entrusted to me.
I have the honor, Sir, to subscribe myself your obed. and devoted servant
Dr Ferd. Mueller.
Ron. Gunn, Esq. J.P. &c