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Physical location:
83/R931, unit 961, VPRS 1207/P000 inward registered correspondence, VA 865 Department of the Treasurer, Public Record Office, Victoria. 83.02.01
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Todea
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Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Edward Symonds, 1883-02-01. 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/1880-9/1883/83-02-01-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026
Melbourne,
1/2/83.
To the Undertreasurer.
Sir.
In reply to your query or memorandum N. 1374
I beg to inform you, that ever since the first Paris "Exposition" in 1854 all contributions
of mine to the successive international Exhibitions were charged to the votes of my
Department. Altho' on all occasions there has been a general vote from Parliament
for the great Exhibitions, that vote was always required to cover the Office Expenditure
of the Commissioners, freight, maintenance of the Victorian Court abroad &c, while
each Government-Department was expected to defray the costs of their contributions
and hand them over free to the Commissioners. In writing on the Voucher for the gigantic
-fern, for "the Amsterdam Exhibition" I merely wished to offer some explanation as
regards this expenditure; as this explanatory note has given rise to a query, I would
suggest that it be struck out. I beg to add, that these sendings of superb specimen-plants
to the international exhibitions are in the interest of Victorian subsequent Exports.
Thus a large trade has arisen in Victorian fern-trees of various sorts, after they
were brought by me before the great fairs of the world.
1
See E. Symonds to M, 31 January 1883.
Todea
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I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant
2
An attachment to the letter states: ‘Suggested - That the a/ct be paid - it is in
schedule - and that the corr. be forwarded for the infm of the Commissioners of Audit after
the a/ct had been paid. […] 3/2/3'. File is marked 'A/c to be paid R.G. 2/2/83'; 'a/c withdrawn J.H. 3/2/83';
'[initials illegible] 3/2'.
Ferd. von Mueller.