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A95/516, unit 814, VPRS 3992/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 95.02.26aPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Charles Topp, 1895-02-26 [95.02.26a]. 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/1890-6/1895/95-02-26a-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
26/2/95
Please, dear Mr. Topp, convey to our honorable ministerial Chief my best thanks for
approving of the printing of the now still further enlarged edition of the "Select
plants",
which procedure will now be at once commenced.
The work will be increasingly in demand, and gradually become known, although it was
never advertised in the general public press. The printing will not fall heavily on
Mr. Brain's establishment, as it will be done merely as a byework.
1
B95.08.04. See M to C. Topp, 19 January 1895.
2
MS annotation: 'Put No. of reqn in this file.' The number of M's requisition is B1640,
see notes with M to C. Topp, 19 January 1895
(in this edition as 95-01-19a).
I beg also of you, to thank on my behalf the hon. Mr. Peacock for his generous views
on the continuation of my position
and for the public expression
of the Ministry in reference to my services also in future, an expression which has
been most cheering to me, and which I will endeavour also henceforth to deserve. Conscious
also of your own powerful support I remain gratefully your
3
On 10 December 1894, Topp wrote to A. Peacock, Chief Secretary: 'The P[ublic] S[ervice] Act 1890 provides
that any officer who has attained the age of 65 years may be directed by the Governor
in Council to continue in the service if the Board certify that in the interests of
the service it is desirable that such officer should continue in the performance of
his duties. Shall the attention of the P. S. Bd be called to the clause in respect
to Baron von Mueller, Mr Ellery & Mr Hayter & shall they be asked whether in each
case they propose to issue a certificate for their continuance in the service?' Peacock replied on 18 December that the Board be asked to certify the continued employment of these
men for three months. On the same day Topp instructed that a letter be written to
the Board 'explaining that the Govt desire the extension to allow time for a full
inquiry as to whether the work of the branches presided over by these officers can
be properly carried on without increase of expense if these gentlemen are superannuated'. The Board certified that it was 'desirable in the interests of the Public Service'
that M, Ellery and Hayter 'continue in the performance of the duties of their offices
until the 31st. March 1895' (X94/9235, unit 818, VPRS 3992/P, Public Record Office, Victoria).
On 20 December Peacock sent a letter and the certificate to the Governor in Council,
who approved the request on the same day. Peacock requested a further extension to
31 December 1895 on 22 February 1895, on the grounds that M's work 'is of a specialised
technical description and there are no other officers in the Public Service qualified
to undertake it. … it is further desirable that Sir Ferdinand von Mueller should be
afforded an opportunity of revising and completing his various works on economic botany'
(X94/9345, unit 818, VPRS 3992/P, Public Record Office, Victoria).
4
The editorial in the
Argus, 25 February 1895, p. 4, included the comment:
We have been requested to explain … [that] although the term of Baron von Mueller,
the Government botanist has been extended till the end of 1895 it is intended to ask
him to remain in that position after the close of this year. Baron von Mueller is
entitled to a pension equal to about two thirds of his salary, and the saving that
would be effected by his retirement would be so small that there is not the slightest
likelihood of his being asked to relinquish his work, which is a labour of love to
him.
Ferd von Mueller