Document information

Physical location:

57.02.00

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John Macadam, 1857-02. 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/1850-9/1857/57-02-00-final.odt>, accessed May 10, 2026

1
Letter not found. For the text given here, see Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria , vol. 2 (1858), p. xxviii.
At a meeting of the Philosophical Institute on 4 February 1857, letters from Professor Wilson and Dr. Wilkie were read resigning their offices of Vice President in order that one of these might be offered to M. The meeting agreed that only Wilkie's resignation would be accepted because he occupied two offices. See Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria , vol. 2 (1858), p. xxvi.
M's letter was read at a meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria on 26 February 1857 (MS 11663, vol. 1, La Trobe Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne), and is dated accordingly.
[A letter from Dr. Ferdinand Mueller was read, expressing his sense of the honor done him by the Society, in the proposal to offer him the office of one of the Vice-Presidents, but respectfully preferring to remain one of the humblest members of the Institute.]
2
M's letter was re-read at the ordinary meeting of the Institute on 4 March 1857. At this meeting Andrew Clarke moved that Macadam be instructed to acknowledge the letter's receipt and to convey to M 'the appreciation of the Institute of his labours, and the sympathy of its members in his scientific researches, as also the expression of a hope that ere long the Institute would be favored by Dr. Mueller's presence and co-operation'. Henry Barkly seconded the motion and 'amongst other eulogistic remarks, stated that Sir Wm. Hooker of the Botanic Gardens at Kew, had expressed to His Excellency his high opinion of Dr. Mueller, in the terms "That his merits as a Botanist were only superseded by his modesty as a man."' The motion was carried by acclamation. See Transactions of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria , vol. 2 (1858), pp. xxviii-xxix.
Barkly visited Kew before he sailed for Victoria and Hooker might have praised M to him orally there (H. Barkly to W. Hooker, 27 August, 7 October and 16 October 1856, RBG Kew, letterbooks, vol. 74, ff. 11-13).
See also M to J. Macadam, March 1857 (in this edition as 57-03-00).