Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne,

5 April 1890.

The honorable Alfr. Deakin, M.L.A.

Chief Secretary.

Sir.

As the financial year will soon draw to a close, I have the honor to solicit, that I may be left in my official position also thereafter, altho' I shall have attained on the 30. June 1890 my 65th year.

1

Deakin approved M's request on 10 April 1890. On 28 April H. Moore, for the Under Secretary, T. Wilson, referred the file to M telling him 'to note the Minister's approval and that the necessary steps to obtain the consent of the Governor in Council shall be obtained in due course'. M returned the file 'with best thanks' two days later. He was formally notified of his continued appointment in July; see T. Wilson to M, 21 July 1890.

In between, on 27 June, the Chief Secretary's Office had asked the Premier, Duncan Gillies, to retain the services of several men, including M, until 30 June 1891: 'In support of the retention of Baron von Mueller … I have the honor to state that in my opinion it is necessary in the interests of the Public Service, to retain [his] services as [his] duties cannot be performed by any officer who is due for promotion.' (P90/6918, unit 572, VPRS 3992/P, Public Record Office, Victoria).

When I entered as the head of this establishment the service of the Government and gave up all other prospects in life, it could not be foreseen, that in subsequent years the continuation of the appointment might depend on age. On a former occasion

2

M to A. Deakin, 28 March 1886.

I have pointed out already, that I sunk all my worldly interest in the establishment, created by me, and I trust it will be felt, that thereby I added to the scientific lustre of Victoria and to the promotion of the substantial resources of this colony. I may add, that during the present finance-year I have carried on as much official work as in any of my younger years, and that I feel in every respect able to continue these

3

M wrote 'the' but altered it to 'these' without altering the next word.

obligation also through the coming finance-year, which devolve on the position, held by me in the public service.