Document information

Physical location:

L77/725, unit 930, VPRS 3991/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 77.01.19

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John MacPherson, 1877-01-19. 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/1870-9/1877/77-01-19-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Melbourne
19/1/77.
The honorable the Chief Secretary.
Sir,
I have the honor to ask, whether you approve of 25 copies of the new volume on industrial plants
1
B76.12.04.
being supplied to the public Library to effect interchanges, the Secretary of that Institution having applied for that number. I further beg to recommend, that I be permitted to send on behalf of the Government a copy to each newspaper of Victoria, by which means the work will become best known to the Colonists and its sale (through the Gov. Printers Department) much increased.
I also wish much to obtain your instruction whether the volume ought to be sent to each member of Parliament, also to each Mechanics Institute and free Library. I would respectfully point out, that in my opinion the cultural interests of the colony are best served by the widest distribution of the work, rather than retaining a large number of copies for sale.
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On 25 January 1877, W. Odgers, Under Secretary, minuted: 'Will Gov. Printer inform me what the practice is in regard to Govt publications. Were members of Parliament supplied gratuitously with Mr Brough Smyths book on the Gold Fields'. The Government Printer, J. Ferres, replied two days later: 'The Hon. the Treasurer has lately approved of Mr. Geo. Robertson being the publisher of all Govt Publications, on certain conditions; they will be on sale at this office, as usual. A copy of Mr Smyth's work was sent to each member of Parlt, and to the Public Libraries.' Odgers instructed on 31 January: 'Similar course to be followed in this case'. Ferres replied on 13 February: 'Done accordingly'. On 24 March Odgers directed 'The Gov. Botanist to note'; M replied 'Noted' the same day.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient
Ferd. von Mueller
3
On 3 February 1877, W. H. Archer, Secretary for Lands, wrote to Odgers asking for 'six copies of Baron von Mueller's Select Plans [sic] for Industrial Culture in Victoria to be supplied to this department'. Odgers approved the request and the Government Printer, J. Ferres, informed him on 13 February that they had been 'Supplied'.
There was a review of the work, using a copy sent by M to the Curator of the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens, Vic, in Mount Alexander mail, 30 January 1877, p. 2. The paper also received a copy direct from M (Mount Alexander mail, 30 March 1877, p. 2). The Bendigo advertiser, 28 March, p. 2, carried a notice of the work, a copy of which it had received from the Government Printer's office, concluding with the statement that copies were available from the Government Printer and from George Robertson, bookseller, priced 2/6. Notices were published by other Victorian newspapers that had received copies, but not all provided details of availability, e.g. Ovens and Mu r ray advertiser (Beechworth), 29 March 1877, p. 2. It was also noted and reviewed in other colonies, for example in Sydney mail and New South Wales advertiser, 20 January 1877, p. 71; Mercury (Hobart), 30 April 1877, p. 2; Inquirer and commercial news (Perth, WA), 4 April 1877, p. 2. The Leader (Melbourne), 20 January 1877, p. 7, published a letter from Walter Bissill that reviewed the volume, with further comment from Bissill in the next edition, 27 January 1877, p. 7, including a plea that M should 'have under his control a botanic garden in the strict sense'.