Document information

Physical location:

U81/2810, unit 1271, VPRS 3991 inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 81.03.28

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Odgers, 1881-03-28. 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/1880-9/1881/81-03-28-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

Melbourne,
28/3/81.
W. H. Odgers Esqr
Undersecretary.
Sir,
In accordance with your request I have the honor to make an official application for such Governments publications, as the hon. the Chief Secretary may be pleased to grant to the distinguished naturalist-traveller, Baron N. de Miklouho-Maclay, who waited on you this day. This Gentleman received also from the Gov. Printing-office in Sydney all the scientific works issued there, and solicits for the furtherance of his studies from the Victorian Government the works of Prof M'Coy, Mr Smyth, Mr Ellery and myself, so far as they pertain to science, also Mr Hayter's summary of statistic
1
Hayter (1875)?
and Mr Skeens general map of Australia
2
Skene & Slight (1879), or the updated edition, Skene & Slight (1880); see Darragh (2001a).
and special map of Victoria.
3
Skene (1872).
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your very obedient,
Ferd. von Mueller.
4
The Chief Secretary, Graham Berry, approved M's proposal, and on 13 April Robert S. Brain from the Government Printing Office wrote to the Chief Secretary's Office:
One Copy of each of the following publications will be forwarded to Baron Maclay tomorrow: —
Smyth's Aborigines
Mueller's Fragmenta Vols 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
" Botanic Teachings
" Select Plants
" Native Plants
" Eucalyptographia (Decades 1 to 7 inclusive)
McCoy's Zoology — 5 Decades
McCoy's Palaeontology, Ellery's works, Statistics, and the maps can be obtained from the Mines Department, the Observatory, the Government Statist, and the Lands Department respectively
Baron Maclay called here today and requested me to mention that as he contemplates leaving the Colony very shortly he would be obliged if these Publications could be sent to him, as soon as possible. [This paragraph is marked with a line and the note: 'Urgent'.]
On the same day memoranda were forwarded to the Departments of Mines and Lands and to the Government Astronomer. Odgers also sent a note marked 'Urgent' to T. Couchman, Secretary for Mines, asking him to provide a copy of McCoy's Palaeontology, which Couchman sent the next day. A letter was sent to Miklouho-Maclay on 23 April, after his address had been obtained from M (see T. Wilson to M, 20 April 1881).
On 25 May 1881 E. M. Paul, the Russian Consul in New South Wales [i.e. Edmund Monson Paul] wrote to the Chief Secretary thanking him, on behalf of Miklouho-Maclay, for 'the various Government Publications and Maps you were good enough to send him'.
See also M to W. Odgers, 22 April 1881 and T. Wilson to M, 10 May 1881.