Document information

Physical location:

MS 13071 Royal Society of Victoria Exploration Committee records, box 2076/2, La Trobe Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne. 60.02.09

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John Macadam, 1860-02-09. 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/1860-9/1860/60-02-09-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

9/2/60
My dear Dr McAdam.
Pray file the enclosed,
1
J. Jobson to M, 30 January 1860?
to be laid together with the other applications before the leader & reply to it officially.
Sir Rich. M'Donnell in several letters to his Excellency Sir Henry Barkly & myself
2
Letters not found.
eulogized Major Warburton in the highest terms & recommends him as the fittest man available for the leadership of the Vict Expedition.
3
Warburton was not appointed leader. On 30 June 1860 Robert O'Hara Burke was appointed leader of what became known as the Burke & Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-1. See M et al . to the Royal Society of Victoria, December 1860 (in this edition as 60-12-00).
Every one sees now that we made a gross mistake in squandering a months time! I hope we will make up for it in alacrity when we come to organize the party next month.
Would you not request Dr Gilbee to propose Dr Wilkie as my successor?
4
At the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society of Victoria held on 6 March 1860, Macadam moved that the Governor, Sir Henry Barkly, be elected President in succession to M. Barkly's willingness to stand seems to have come as a surprise, since others, Wilkie being one, had been proposing to do so. The minutes record that, following Macadam's announcement, 'Professor Irving withdrew the name of Professor Wilson, who had been nominated, and it was announced that the Hon. Dr. Wilkie, M.L.C., had refused to permit himself to be nominated under the circumstances'. Barkly was thereupon elected unopposed (Transactions of the Royal Society of Victoria, vol. 5 (1860), Proceedings, p. iii).
Prof Neumayer will be the secundant. The notice should not be posted later than 2 weeks before election.
I long for seeing you. Can you spare me an hour at your house or at mine & when?
The Governor is justly disappointed with the bad progress the Resource Commission,
5
On 25 June 1859, in response to a request to the Governor from the Society of Arts, London, for information on the natural resources of the colony, the Philosophical Institute of Victoria formed a committee to compile such information. On 31 August, the committee was enlarged and Irving was appointed secretary. The committee presented its report on 23 April 1860. For M's contribution see B60.14.01.
or at least some parts of it, is making. When will Prof Irving, the Hon Secr. be back?
6
See M et al. to the Council of the Royal Society of Victoria, 9 April 1860, in which the Committee appointed to report on the resources of Victoria presented their finding. They apologised for the delay and explained it by the time needed by busy committee members to collect information.
yours ever truly
Ferd. Mueller
Major Warburton can get 18 months leave (enough for 2 cool & 1 hot season). Let us be on the look out not to loose the cool months of this year!!