Document information

Physical location:

O78/9916, unit 1048, VPRS 3991/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 78.09.13a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Odgers, 1878-09-13 [78.09.13a]. 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/1870-9/1878/78-09-13a-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

13/9/78.
In the mail-news it is stated, dear Mr Odgers, that the British Government intends to cause plantations of Eucalypts to be formed extensively on the newly acquired island of Cyprus.
1
The Ottoman Empire ceded control of Cyprus to Britain in 1878 in return for Britain's guaranteeing that it would use the island as a base to protect the Ottoman Empire against possible Russian attack.
It occurs to me, that we might from Victoria offer some aid in this. If the Chief Secretary thinks well of this, I could provide about 20 species of seeds to your Office for transmission by next English mail.
2
On 18 October Odgers referred M's letter to the Governor, George Bowen. Bowen minuted on 21 October: 'Baron Müller is requested to send the packet of seeds to wh refers to the Governor's Office, when they will be duly forwarded to the Secy of State'. Odgers forwarded this instruction to M the next day, and M sent the seeds immediately; see M to W. Odgers, 23 October 1878.
Regardfully
Ferd. von Mueller
The plantations there are intended to subdue the fever miasms.