Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS accompanied by an envelope addressed by M: 'Herrn Adolph Miessler, Litterat u.s.w. Alsen-Strasse N. 1 Breslau Prussia', with a partly obliterated post-office stamp, 'MELBO[...] | 8[...] | JU[...] | 8[...]'. Consistent with the latter, item is dated to 1889, since M indicates in his own entry that the January 1889 Intercolonial Medical Congress has been held but the January 1890 meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science has not yet been. The stamp also indicates that the letter was sent in June or July; it is dated here to June as the earliest it could have been sent.

English-language sections mostly in a clerk's hand, German-language sections and some English added by M.

Forrest, John, C.M.G., son of William Forrest Esq. of Leschenault, near Bunbury, W. Australia b. 1847; entered survey department of W. Australia 1865, and was Dep. Surveyor Gen. of that colony 1876-82, since when he has been surveyor-Gen. and Commr. of Crown Lands; in 1869, 1870, and 1874 commanded important exploring expeditions into the interior of Australia (presented by Imperial Govt. with a grant of 5,000 acres of land, gold medal of Roy. Geographical Soc. and thanked by the Government and Legislative council); conducted the trigonometrical survey of Nichol Bay district 1878, and of Gascoyne and Lyons Bay district 1882; was acting Commr. of Crown Lands, Surveyor General, and M.E.C. 1878-9, and acting Comptroller of Convicts 1880-1; in 1883 and 1886 went on a Special Mission to the Kimberly Dist. N.W. Australia, is a M.E.C. and M.L.C., a J.P. for W. Australia, and a Knt of the Crown of Italy: m. 1876, Margaret Elvire, da. of Edward Hamersley Esq; cr C.M.G. 1882. Perth, West Australia. Ist seit mehreren Jahren Surveyor General von West-Australien.

Nach dem Empfang Ihres Breifes, geehrter Herr Miessler, schien es mir am Besten zu sein, die biographischen Notizen über Mr Forrest u in Bezug auf mich selbst aus den London "Men of the time" (Zeit-Genossen abschreiben zu lassen. Die Letzteren habe ich etwas erweitert. Wenn Sie sich an Mr Ernest Giles, der eben jetzt in London ist, wenden wollen, Adr. 60 Nevern-Square, South-Kensington, so wird er Ihnen selbst eine Biographie liefern können über sich, auch über seinen früheren Reise-Gefährten Tietkens, über die beiden Gregory, über Eyre, Sturt, Mitchell, u die wenigen Anderen, welche ausser unserm berühmten aber verunglückten Landsmann Leichhardt sich hervorragend an der geographischen Land -Erforschung Australiens betheiligt haben. Über die australischen Küsten Fahrer müssen Sie in einem Marine-Werk Englands oder in J. Tenisons Woods "History of Australian Exploration" nachschlagen.

Da Mr Giles nach einigen Monaten London wieder verlassen wird müssten Sie bald an ihn dahin schreiben. Es wäre gut, wenn Sie sich die letzte (12te Ausgabe der "Men of the time" kommen liessen.

[English text as above] Is for many years Surveyor General of Western Australia.

After the receipt of your letter, esteemed Mr Miessler, it seemed to me best to have the biographical notes about Mr Forrest and in reference to myself copied from the London Men of the Time (contemporary).

2

T. Ward (1887).

I have somewhat enlarged the latter. If you wish to consult Mr Ernest Giles, who is just now in London, address 60 Nevern Square, South Kensington, he will be able to supply you with a biography about himself, also about his former travel companion Tietkens, about both the Gregorys, about Eyre, Sturt, Mitchell and the few others, who, apart from our famous but unfortunate fellow countryman Leichhardt, have taken part outstandingly in the geographical l and exploration of Australia. About the Australian coastal commanders you must look up a marine work of England or J. Tenison Woods' History of Australian Exploration.

3

Woods (1865).

Since Mr Giles will leave London again after some months you must write to him there soon. It would be good if you ordered the last edition (12th) of the Men of the Time.

Mueller (Baron) Sir Ferdinand von, K.C.M.G., M.D., Ph.D., F.R.S., son of the late Frederick Mueller, of Rostock, Germany, by Louisa, daughter of George Mertens, of Aschergleben,

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i.e. Aschersleben.

was born at Rostock, 1825, educated, after the early death of his parents, in Schleswig, studied also in Kiel, and examined extensively the vegetation of Schleswig and Holstein from 1840 to 1847, when, on account of hereditary inclination to phthisis, he emigrated to Australia. He travelled through the extensive territory of South-Australia, mainly for researches on plants, from 1848 till 1852, at his private expense. In 1852 he accepted the newly created office of Government Botanist for Victoria;

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M's appointment officially commenced on 26 January 1853; it was gazetted on 2 February.

explored there till 1855, examining the whole alpine vegetation of Australia, previously utterly unknown, ascended and named Mount Hotham, the Barkly-Ranges, and many other mountains; joined, as Phytographic Naturalist, the expedition sent out under Augustus Gregory,

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North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

by the Duke of Newcastle, to explore the River Victoria, and other portions of the north parts of the Australian continent; was one of the four who reached Termination-Lake

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Now Lake Gregory, WA.

in 1856 went throughout the whole other parts of the same expedition, conducted overland by Gregory to Moreton Bay;

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Qld.

accepted the Directorship of the Botanical Garden of Melbourne in 1857, which office he held till 1873, raising that institution to high fame, and establishing scientific relations with all parts of the globe, in order to introduce useful plants into the colony, and to make known Australian plants abroad. He was one of the Commissioners for the Industrial Exhibitions in Melbourne in 1854, 1862, and 1867; has issued eleven

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eleven in M's hand above eight deleted.

volumes of his "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae"; two volumes, largely illustrated, on the "Plants of Victoria,"

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B62.03.03, B65.02.06.

irrespective of several other publications, Atlas der Myoporinae, Eucalyptography mit extensivem Text, Atlas austral Salsolaceen, Atlas austral Acacieen, welche Werke etwa 600 Quart Platten von lithographischen Illustrationen umfassen. B. v. M. war 1854 einer der 4 ersten Anreger für die Royal Society of Victoria; er war der Erste dem in Australien die Königl Gesellschaft von London die Victoria Gold Medaille zuerkannte, der Erste welcher in der südl Hemisphäre extensiv illustrirt Pflanzen Werke im grössere Umfang herausgab; Er ist Ehrenmitgl. oder corr Mitglied von etwa 150 wissenschaftlichen Vereinen, Ritter vieler Orden, der Erste welcher in Austral. ein grösseres Werken der lateinisch Sprache schrieb. Ist Präsident der geogr Gesellsch. von Victoria, war durch viele Jahre Vice Präs. der Acclimations Gesellschaft hier auch der Royal Horticular Soc. of Vict. ist zum ersten Präsidenten für die Melbourne Versammlung der Australian Association for the Advancement of Science erwählt, war in der Versammlung austral Ärzte in Melbourne 1889 Präsident der Section für Therapie, Materia Medica u Pharmacie

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Atlas der Myoporinae ... Materia Medica u Pharmacie inserted in M's hand.

w orked on Benthams

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worked on Benthams in M's hand above contributed to the deleted.

Flora Australiensis, of which seven

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seven in M's hand above six deleted.

volumes have appeared as main cooperater from 1862 to 1878 das einzige bisherige vollständige Werk über die Gesammt-Flora eines der 5 Erdtheile!

B v M hat etwa zur Länge von 30000 engl Meilen wissenschaftl Reisen zu Fuss oder zu Pferde durch Australien gemacht.

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as main cooperater ... durch Australien gemacht. inserted in M's hand .

He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1861; was included in the first nominations for the Order S.S. Michael and George; nominated a Commander of the St. Jago of Portugal, and of Isabella of Spain; and created a hereditary Baron by the King of Würtemburg in 1871. Many mountains, rivers and lakes are named in Australia in honour of Baron von Mueller, also a glacier and river in New Zealand and a mountain in Spitzbergen, ein hoher Berg in Neu Guinea und ein grosser Cataract in Süd Brasilien.

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ein hhoher Berg ... Brasilien inserted in M's hand.

The Baron still continues his researches in Melbourne. In 1879 he was rewarded for his colonial services as a Naturalist with the Knight Commandership of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. Beim 50 jährigen Regierungs Jubiläum der Königin von England wurde er zum Gross Kreuz des Christus Order vom Könige von Portugal u zum Commandeur des Philipp's Orden vom Grossherzog von Hessen erheben.

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Beim 50 jä hrigen ... erheben. inserted in M's hand .

[English text as above] Atlas of the Myoporinae,

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B86.08.05.

Eucalyptography with extensive text,

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B79.13.11, B80.13.14, B82.13.17, B84.04.04, B84.11.02.

Atlas of Australian Salsolaceae,

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B89.13.04, B90.13.14, B91.13.24

Atlas of Australian Acacias,

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B87.13.04, B88.13.01.

which works comprise about 600 quarto plates of lithographic illustrations. B. v. M. was one of the four first instigators of the Royal Society of Victoria in 1854; he was the first in Australia to whom the Royal Society of London awarded the Victoria Gold Medal,

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i.e. Royal Medal, one of two awarded by the Royal Society in 1888.

the first in the southern hemisphere who published extensively illustrated botanical works on a larger scale. He is honorary member or corresponding member of about 150 scientific organizations, knight of many orders, the first in Australia who wrote a larger work in the Latin language.

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i.e. Fragmenta phytographiae australiae.

Is president of the Geographical Society of Victoria,

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Victorian Branch, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.

was for many years vice-president of the Acclimatisation Society here, also of the Royal Horticultural Society of Victoria, is elected as the first president for the Melbourne meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science,

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To be held in Melbourne in January 1890.

was president of the section for Therapy, Materia Medica and Pharmacy at the meeting of Australian physicians in Melbourne 1889.

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See B89.13.16.

Worked on Bentham's Flora australiensis, as main cooperator from 1862 to 1878 of which seven volumes have appeared,

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Bentham (1863-78).

the sole complete work until now on the whole flora of one of the five continents!

B v M has made scientific journeys on foot or on horse through Australia to a length of about 30,000 English miles. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1861; was included in the first nominations for the Order S.S. Michael and George; nominated a Commander of the St. Jago of Portugal, and of Isabella of Spain; and created a hereditary Baron by the King of Würtemburg in 1871. Many mountains, rivers and lakes are named in Australia In honour of Baron von Mueller, also a glacier and river in New Zealand and a mountain in Spitzbergen, a high mountain in New Guinea and a great cataract in South Brazil. The Baron still continues his researches in Melbourne. In 1879 he was rewarded for his colonial services as a naturalist with the Knight Commandership of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. On the 50th jubilee of the reign of the Queen of England he was raised to Grand Cross of the Order of Christ by the King of Portugal and to Commander of the Philipp Order by the Grand Duke of Hesse.