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Physical location:

83.01.00b

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to P. C. Moroney, 1883-01 [83.01.00b]. 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/1880-9/1883/83-01-00b-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'The resources of the Colac district', Argus, 24 January 1883, p. 10 (B83.01.04). M's letter is appended to a report by P. C. Moroney, Colac Shire Engineer. The report was read at the meeting of the Colac Shire Council on 19 January 1883, but M's letter was not included with Moroney's report published in the Colac herald, 23 January 1883, p. 3. Moroney stated in his report that 'specimens of the foliage, bark and wood of [two species] have been forwarded by me to the Government botanist, Baron Von Mueller, for classification'. The Argus printed Moroney's report and followed it by M's letter, which was introduced by 'The following is Baron von Mueller's answer to Mr Moroney's letter:—'.
Sir-
In reply to your letter of yesterday,
2
Letter not found.
I beg to inform you that the tree alluded to by you as forming large and peculiar forests in the ranges to the southward of Colac, is a true beech, namely,
Fagus Cunninghami

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(of Sir William Hooker). It is the same species which abounds in many of the ranges and valleys of Tasmania where it is called, very improperly, 'myrtle tree.'
It is likewise identical with the beech of Gipps Land. The existence of the beech forest between Colac and Cape Otway was pointed out by me to the Government in a report, printed for Parliament in 1857.
3
M visited Cape Otway between 17 and 29 December 1857 (see M to D. Moore, 17 December 1857 and M to D. Moore, 29 December 1857). This journey is mentioned in M to J. O'Shanassy, 24 October 1858, published as B58.11.02 (see p. 8), but does not report the forest of beech.
In that year I travelled (alone, with one horse only) through the ranges from near Colac to Cape Otway, and passed through a great extent of these beech forests. But as the same kind of timber was more readily accessible to me from Western Gipps Land, from Wilson's Promontory, and also from Tasmania, your forests were, until lately, not put under requisition for beech timber.
As regards the quality of the timber, it is as excellent as the New Zealand red, black, and white birch, which all three are evergreen beeches, and similar trees, with equally valuable wood, occur in South America.
The smaller tree, of which you sent a chip of wood, is botanically known as
Griostemon squamens

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,
4
Printer's error for Eriostemon squameus?
of Labillardière. It occurs in damp forest valleys, from the southern part of Queensland, through New South Wales and Gipps Land, to near the Curdie River where it attains its western geological limits. I included the wood of this tree in several timber collections since 1854, for the great exhibitions, though trees of considerable dimensions are comparatively rare. It is also a native of Tasmania.