The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Wednesday ¶ ¶ Am glad, dear Mr Macdonald, that all the arrangements for this evenings meeting are completed. I will go timely to Scott's Hotel, so as to bring Mr Douglas myself a little before eight,...

Document information

Physical location:

A38, The Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Victorian Branch), Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 87.12.21

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Alexander Macdonald, 1887-12-21. 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/1880-9/1887/87-12-21-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter dated to Wednesday 21 December 1887, when the Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia held a special meeting at the Melbourne Town Hall at which 'Mr. John Douglas, Special High Commissioner for British New Guinea, read a paper entitled "Notes of a recent cruise through the Louisiada Group of Islands [Papua New Guinea]"'; see Argus, 14 January 1888, p. 3.

Wednesday

Am glad, dear Mr Macdonald, that all the arrangements for this evenings meeting are completed. I will go timely to Scott's Hotel, so as to bring Mr Douglas myself a little before eight, when we can commence at once.

I fully concur with you in the desirability of enlisting Mr Stephens as a corresponding member.

Ought we to telegraph early to Giles?

I hope you will be able to get a short hand-writer for this evening.

Regardfully

your

Ferd. von Mueller

Will Prof Kernot give his consent to the transfer of his £50 from Giles to Tietkens?

The SA Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, with support from the Victorian Branch which had been collecting subscriptions, had been planning to send a new exploring expedition to Central Australia under Ernest Giles. However, Giles had decided to go prospecting in the Kimberley district of WA instead, whereupon William Tietkens was appointed in his place as leader of the planned expedition. See M to S. Davenport, 9 November 1887, and W. Tietkens to M, 24 November 1887 and notes thereto for the eventual outcome.

As our present meeting comes so close upon that intended for January, it seems advisable to defer the annual meeting til Febr. and that we announce that this evening.

Would you kindly send a few more cards.

I think, we might state this evening that we intend to transfer the subscriptions to Tietkens fund who will soon start,

In the event, the expedition was delayed and did not set out from Bond Springs Homestead, near Alice Springs, until 14 March 1889.

and if no subscriber by letter objected, we would take this as a tacit consent.

I will call for Mr & Mrs Forrest also and bring them.

John and Margaret Forrest were visiting Melbourne at the time and attended the meeting at which, the Argus reported, Forrest 'referred to the advantages to be derived from a thorough exploration of the Western territory'.

Will you timely arrange about the votes of thanks

Will you take charge of Central Austr. matter this evening with Mr Panton, as you were so little reported at the last meeting