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H87/9649, unit 288, VPRS 3992/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 87.10.17aPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Alfred Deakin, 1887-10-17 [87.10.17a]. 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/1880-9/1887/87-10-17a-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
Melbourne,
17 Oct. 1887.
The honorable Alfred Deakin,
Chief Secretary.
Sir.
I have the honor to bring under your favorable consideration the desirability of my
issueing monthly a few pages print on progressive work and researches in my Department,
as done for a long time already in the establishment of the Gov. Astronomer here.
Should this proposition meet with your kind approval, it would be desirable, that
it should appear with punctuality; and I would therefore beg that I may be allowed
to have the printing effected at the establishment of Mess. McCarron, Bird & Co, who
have done work repeatedly for the botanic Department before and always to great satisfaction.
As the "Monthly record of the phytological Department," would comprise each time only
about eight octavo pages, at a cost of about seven shillings each, the expenditure
can be defrayed out of the item for "publications" of the "vote of the Department.
1
On 19 October 1887, T. Wilson, Undersecretary, asked: Will the Govt Botanist be good
enough to inform me — 1. What is the corresponding work issued by the Govt Astronomer,
and 2. What is the estimated cost of issuing the work now proposed'.
M replied with a minute on 21 October: 'The Gov. Astronomers periodical issue is also
called "Monthly Record", but that refers only to time observation and is not binding
to regular appearance; my record would have also very much less pages, only about
8 each time at a total annual expenditure of about £30.- .-, which (as stated) will
be defrayed out of the ordinary publishing vote, therefore involve
not
any special extravote; by such a record the scattering of many important rural, industrial
and scientific notes will be avoided, also the expense for extraslips from journals
for litterary interchanges be saved. it would be far preferable to give such small
job-printing to a private firm; if desired, the issue could at any time be discontinued'.
Deakin approved M's suggestion on 26 October and Wilson informed M the same day. The next
day M replied 'with grateful acknowledgement'. Wilson subsequently forwarded the file
to the Commissioners of Audit for their information. Approval notwithstanding, the
proposed publication did not proceed.
I have the honor to be Sir,
your obedient servant
Ferd von Mueller.