Document information

Physical location:

Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, SA. 91.10.29

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ralph Tate, 1891-10-29. 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/1890-6/1891/91-10-29-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

29/10/91.
You will concede, dear Prof. Tate, that after the heavy extra- work through several months , caused by bringing out the much enlarged 8th edition of the "Select plants",
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B91.09.01.
much of my departmental work came into arrear; Add to this, that in an establishment with so multifarious work and obligations, I must arrange everything, when away, in such a manner, that the service and my position do not suffer; hence I cannot take out the time, as I would like, — there being never a vacation for a professional head in the Gov. Service or other interruption or cessation of his work. You will hardly credit, when I say, that I have not yet overtaken all the arrear-work, which accumulated during the one month of my absense, while proceeding for the A.A. to N.Z.
2
M attended the third Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Christchurch, NZ, in January 1891.
So my kind friends in Adelaide must be charitable to me, otherwise I may break down all together. At best my stay in Adelaidecan this time be but very brief, and so my stay in Hobart.
3
M paid a brief visit to Hobart, Tas, in January 1892, to attend the fourth Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, which was held from 7-16 January 1892. However, he stayed for only the first few days of the meeting, presiding at the meeting of the General Council on 7 January (Morton (1893), p. xvii) and participating in sectional meetings, but arrived back in Melbourne on 12 January (Argus, 13 January 1892, p. 4).
Always with true friendship
your
Ferd. von Mueller
I shall be delighted to see also you on both places, be it even only for short moments
4
M was planning to visit Adelaide to meet with Sir Thomas Elder in December to discuss support for Antarctic exploration (M to M. Henley, 5 December 1891). He arrived in Adelaide 19 January 1892 and left Adelaide to return to Melbourne on 20 January ( Advertiser (Adelaide), 21 January 1892, p. 4.). The report of the visit does not mention a meeting with Tate. Tate read papers at the Hobart meeting, but it is not known whether he and M met there.
Has everything become known about the gestation of the marsupial Mole.
Do you care to join the great Royal Hort soc. of London? I will gladly propose you.
5
The membership records of the Royal Horticultural Society from this period do not survive, and it is not known whether Tate was ever nominated.