Document information
Physical location:
RB MSS M1, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 93.10.01aPreferred Citation:
William Potter to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1893-10-01 [93.10.01a]. 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/1890-6/1893/93-10-01a-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
Albert Park,
1
Melbourne.
October 1st 1893.
My dear Baron, —
You will be pleased to hear that I have got the appointment for which you and the
Rev. H. Tucker gave me letters of recommendation.
Allow me to tender my warmest thanks for your great kindness.
2
Letter of recommendation not found. Potter's appointment not identified.
Yesterday I received a letter from Captain Jorgensen saying that he was in Sydney,
but would be in Melbourne next week, when he hoped he would get the letter I was to
write for him. He had been called away suddenly, so the note I wrote declining to
take my part in the preparation of correspondence with Sir George Dibbs had not reached
him.
It gave me very much pleasure to read the speeches of your friends in Parliament the
other night.
To know that the House so ignominiously scouted Mr Vale's idea, must be gratifying
to you. I have attached a clipping from the "Record" of yesterday on the subject.
3
In the Legislative Assembly on 28 September 1893, during discussion of the Estimates
for the following year, Richard Vale, the member for West Ballarat, stated that the
vote for the Government Botanist's Department had not been subjected to retrenchment
and asked 'what return the colony was obtaining from this branch of the public service'.
After declaring that the Department 'provided an appointment for a man who was utterly
impracticable as the manager of the Botanical gardens' and noting that M had passed
retiring age, he moved that the vote for the Department be reduced by £1. A succession
of speakers sprang to M's defence before the vote for the Department was passed unanimously
(see Parliamentary debates).
4
See Record (Emerald Hill), 30 September 1893, p. 2, reporting 'the highly eulogistic references
made to the splendid work done for the colony by Baron Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller'.
I hope that you have recovered from the indisposition that prevented your presence
at the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Science.
5
See M to A. Macdonald, 25 September 1893, and M to H. Tryon, 25 September 1893 (in
this edition as 93-09-25b).
With renewed expression of gratitude and devotion
I remain
My dear Sir Ferdinand
Yours truly
Wm Potter.
Baron Sir F. Von Mueller,
K.C.M.G., M.D. &c. &c
Government Botanist,
Melbourne.