The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botanic & zoologic Garden, ¶ 10. June 1860 ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ I have the honor to inform you, that the trial of importing Salmon Ova to Tasmania by a shipment pr "S. Curling" has not had a direct su...

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Physical location:

N60/4932, unit 833, VPRS 1189/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 60.06.10

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Nicholson, 1860-06-10. 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/1860-9/1860/60-06-10-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Melbourne botanic & zoologic Garden,

10. June 1860

Sir

I have the honor to inform you, that the trial of importing Salmon Ova to Tasmania by a shipment pr "S. Curling" has not had a direct success, the spawn having perished after a lapse of sixty days on the voyage for want of ice and, as I have been informed by the Gentleman, who conducted the experiment, only three days before the ship would have reached so high southern latitudes as to have brough the ova out of danger as far as the temperature of water was causing it.

It is however gratifying to know, that Salmon ova may be safely brought to Australia by adopting in a second trial those precautions, which the experience gained on this occasion suggests, and I beg to bring under your Honors favorable consideration, whether it would not be desirable to provide in the estimates of the expenditure for 1861 an adequate sum for bringing next season a quantity of ova of salmon to the rivers of Gipps Land.

I shall not fail to impress on Mr Black, the Gentleman in charge of the ova pr. "S. Curling" the desirability of furnishing a report on the experiments for future guidance in the same enterprise.

Alexander Black. Black presented a report on the experiment to the Royal Society of Tasmania at its meeting on 18 July 1860. An account of his address is given in Mercury (Hobart), 25 July 1860, p. 2. If was not formally published in the Society's Proceedings, which were not issued for 1860-62 (Noetling (1911)).

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your most obedient servant

Ferd. Mueller.

The honorable the Chief Secretary

MS file annotation, 12 June 1860: 'Read'. See also W. Henty to M, 23 April 1860; W. Henty to M, 24 April 1860; M to W. Henty, 27 April 1860; W. Henty to M, 9 May 1860; M to W. Henty, 15 May 1860; M to W. Nicholson, 23 May 1860; M to W. Henty, 29 May 1860; M to W. Henty, 12 June 1860; W. Henty to M, 14 June 1860 (in this edition as 60-06-14b); M to J. Milligan, 19 June 1860; and W. Henty to M, 30 June 1860 (in this edition as 60-06-30a). At the request of the Tasmanian government, M made elaborate preparations to receive the shipment of salmon ova and trans-ship it to Hobart. Both the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Barkly, and the Chief Secretary, William Nicholson, took an active interest in the affair.