Document information

Physical location:

J87/12004, unit 306, VPRS 3992/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 87.12.17

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Thomas Wilson , 1887-12-17. 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/1880-9/1887/87-12-17-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Melbourne
17th December 1887.
The Undersecretary.
Sir.
In reply to your communication of the 13th Dec,
1
See H. Moors to M, 13 December 1887 (in this edition as 87-12-13a).
I have the honor to report, that it is my intention, to exhibit on behalf of the Department at the international Exhibition of 1888-1889:
2
Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888-9.
1,
the Iconography of Australian Acaciae, of which in time about 150 plates will be ready.
3
Published in Decades as B87.13.04 and B88.13.01 between March 1887 and August 1888.
2,
the new and again enlarged edition of the select plants.
4
B88.12.01.
3,
the Census of Austral. plants, completed to date.
5
B83.03.04, B84.03.06, B85.02.05, B86.06.03.
4,
a collection of woods, demonstrating elasticity and bearing power.
5,
a collection of kinos, gums, resins and similar substances.
6,
an Album of horticultural flowers, australian.
7,
an Album of Austral. grasses and other economic plants.
8,
such portions of decades of Australian saltbushes, as can be got ready for lithography.
6
None of the Decades of the Iconography of Australian salsolaceous plants had been published by 1888; the first two comprise B89.13.04.
9,
various minor miscellaneous articles, pertaining to vegetable technology.
In connection with this I have the honor to enquire, whether any special aid could be afforded me for getting the show-cases, needful for the above exhibits, provided, the means of the establishment here being so severely taxed already.
I wish further to ask for instructions, whether I am to apply direct for space to the executive Commission, or whether your Office will secure the space, about 120 quadrate-feet being required for my exhibits.
Still further I beg to express a hope, that the trustees of the Exhibition-Building will exhibit all those articles, which were brought together already before in the Building, as among them are also those of technologic rural and medicinal interest, got during the last few years by the trustees through my aid, — for instance: an imitation-library of wood-books illustrative of Australian timber; — a series of wood-samples shaped into turnery; — a series of therapeutic substances, — a series of models of orchards fruits; — a series of models of edible fungs, besides some other articles and many framed illustrations. There would be neither time nor means, to prepare and procure such various series specially anew for the forthcoming Exhibition.
7
On 22 December 1887 H. Moors, for the Under Secretary, minuted: 'It would be well for the Government Botanist to see Mr Lavater in regard to the collection made for the trustees. He should also lodge a formal application for the space he will require.' M replied on 24 December with an additional minute saying he would carry out the instructions.
On 28 December 1887, G. Lavater, Secretary to the Centennial International Exhibition, wrote to the Under Secretary requesting him to 'fill up the enclosed Entry forms for 120 square feet of space at the forthcoming Exhibition, required by the Government Botanist'. The next day H. Moors, for the Under Secretary, forwarded the forms to M 'to complete and return to Mr Lavater'. M, in turn, minuted the next day: 'carried out according to instructions'.
The only exhibits by M listed in Centennial International Exhibition, Melbourne 1888-9 (1888), vol. 1, are botanical specimens &c (catalogue entry 486, p. 58), models representing the silk industry prepared by Mrs. Trimbell (entry 515, p. 58) and Todea fern weighing 4567 Lbs and cross sections of various woods (entry 1312, p. 80).
I have the honor to be, Sir,
your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Gov. Botanist.