The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ...

Document information

Physical location:

No. 62/802, unit 802, VPRS 28Probate and Administration Files, VA2624, Public Record Office, Victoria. M96.11.12

Preferred Citation:

Alexander Buettner, Hermann Buettner and William Potter to Supreme Court of Victoria, Probate Jurisdiction, 1896-11-12 [M96.11.12]. 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/mentions/selected/M96-11-12-final.odt>, accessed June 10, 2026

The typescript statement of Assets and Liabilities is part of the bundle of papers related to the grant of probate of M's will dated 17 June 1884 (in this edition as 84-06-17). The papers include affidavits concerning James Rudall's renouncing the role of executor and the remaining executors (Alexander Buettner, Hermann Buettner and William Potter; Willliam Haig had predeceased M) swearing to the accuracy of the accounts, dated 12 November 1896; John George Luehmann and Charles French each swearing to the authenticity of the will and that the alterations in it were made before they signed as witnesses; a valuation of M's property and effects (see W. Lamb Smith to the executors, 22 October 1896 (in this edition as M96-10-22); a statement of the executors' account in 1900 (see A. Buettner et al. to Supreme Court, 28 June 1900 (in this edition as M1900-06-28)); and the formal grant of probate, dated 16 November 1896.

There is a ✓ mark against each of the subtotals and summary entries.

There is a copy of this document at E97/3566, unit 972, VPRS 3992/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria, this having been provided to the Premier at his request by the Supreme Court's Master in Equity on 20 February 1897.

	Statement of Assets and Liabilities
	ASSETS
	REAL ESTATE

1.	Freehold land situate at South Yarra having a frontage of 95 feet 9½ inches to Arnold street by a depth of 106 feet 11 inches having erected thereon a brick villa (known as Number 28 Arnold Street occupied by the deceased at the time of his death) containing 9 rooms kitchen bath-room and a weatherboard stable, the whole in very bad repair. The annual municipal valuation of the said land together with the improvements thereon is £70 and the value thereof is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		£ 800 : 0: 0 2 There is an annotation above the value : 'valued by W L amb Smith '.
	PERSONAL ESTATE

2.	Leasehold land and landed property held under lease or licence from the Crown.
3.	Rents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
4.	Crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
5.	Live Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
6.	Farming Implements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
7.	Carriages &c . Very old Brougham in delapidated 3 dilapidated? state and old set of harness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .		8: 0: 00
8.	Harness and Saddlery. (Nil, except as set out in paragraph 6 4 Error for '7'? of this statement).
9.	Furniture . Household furniture beds and bedding houselinen plate &c as per inventory hereunto annexed marked " B " 5 i.e, W. Lamb Smith to the Executors of the Mueller Estate, 22 October 1896 (in this edition as M96-10-22). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		53: 7: 0
10.	Books magazines & Pamphlets At Number 28 Arnold Street and at Museum as per the said Inventory marked "B" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		85: 14: 6
11.	Watches trinkets jewellery &c As per said Inventory marked "B" . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		84: 19: 0
11.	The deceased had also at the time of his death the decorations an d Insignia of B ar o n y , the o r der of St. Michael and St. George and various foreign orders which are set out in the said I nventory hereunto marked " B " a nd which belong to the various governments which conf err ed them on the deceased 6 There is a marginal annotation beside this paragraph: 'Even if added wd not be [...]'. Though evidently well aware of the obligation to return M's various decorations, the executors failed to do so. What are reputed to be M's KCMG regalia are listed in the catalogue of the State Library of NSW, Sydney, as part of the Sir William Dixson medal collection (star DN/M 1284, badge DN/M 1285). However , an expected provenance note could not be found when requested in 2016.The Library also holds M's badge of the French Légion d'Honneur; see Home (2017). The badges of many of M's other knighthoods came into the possession of various of his nieces and nephews, whose descendants have presented them to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne where they are no w. The Grand Cross of the Order of Christ, Kingdom of Portugal, was given to William Potter's daughter, and with the deed of gift (W. Potter et al. to Beatrice Potter, 26 February 1900) these regalia are in the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney (No. 15547). The Baronial regalia of 'crown and coronet' and badges of two orders, presumably those of St. Jago and of Isabella the Catholic which the Will specified were 'to be kept as an unsaleable and sacred heirloom in the families of my two sisters', together with other 'trifles' such as '1 scarf, 1 crochet necktie, 1 stuffed parrot' were sent to Clara Wehl by Potter late in 1897 (Clara Wehl to Louisa Mattheissen, 23 December 1897, RB MSS M100 b, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne). The obituary of M's nephew, Ferdinand Edward Wehl, states that 'among the belongings of the deceased are ... the regalia and baronial coronet of the late Baron von Mueller...' ( South eastern times (Millicent, SA) , 28 February 1908 , p. 2) ; the Baronial coronettes remain in the family.
12.	Other personal effects clothing &c . Wearing apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		3: 0: 0
13.	Money in hand or house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil
14.	Money in bank or building society. Current accoun t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
15.	Money in bank or building society. on deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil. 7 This is the last item on the page and is followed by a subtotal £1,035: 0: 0, which is repeated at the top of the next page.
16.	Debentures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
17.	M ortgages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
18.	Life Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
19.	Bonuses on life policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
20.	Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
21.	D ividends on shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
22.	Plant &c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
23.	Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
24.	D ebts due to the e state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
25.	S tock in a shop or business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
26.	I nterest in a partnership business . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
27.	Goodwill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	Nil.
29.	interest in a deceased persons estate . . . . . . .	Nil.
	Total Assets . . . . . . . .		£1,035: 0: 0

	LIABILITIES

	The Royal Bank of Australia Limited of Number 347 Collins Street Melbourne Overdraft and interest thereon to date of death of the said deceased . . . . .		416: 0: 3 8 There is an annotation above this amount: ' Se cd. \| Deposit of Title Deed of Land '.
	Law Sumner and Company Number 139 Swanston St Melbourne Nurseryman Seeds &c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		7: 10: 11
	Miller and Annear number 128 Toorak Road Work and labour done. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		1: 16: 6 9 This is the last entry on the page and is followed by a subtotal £425: 7: 8 which is repeated at the top of the next page.
	Troedel and Company of Number 232 Little Flinders Sreet Melbourne printers Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		2: 0: 0
	Miss Williams of The Trained Nurses Institute Spring Sreet Melbourne Trained Nurse attendance on deceased during illness		4: 0: 0
	Mrs Parncutt of Arnold Street South Yarra Attendance on deceased during illness . . . . . . . . . . .		3: 10: 0
	G. French Wattletree Road Malvern Employee of Deceased Wages . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		2: 0: 0
	Frank Young of Number 238 St. Kilda Road South Yarra Employee of deceased Wages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		2: 0: 0
	G. Parncutt Arnold Street South Yarra Employee of deceased Wages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		15: 0
	A. Parncutt Arnold Street South Yarra Employee of deceased Wages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		15: 0
	Dulan 10 i.e., Dulau. and C ompany Soho square London B ooksellers B ooks &c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		7: 0: 0
	Watson and Scull Lower Thames Street London Forwarding Agents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		3: 0: 0
	Roche Tompsitt and Company of Number 292 Flinders Street Melbourne Chemists Chemicals. . .		1: 8: 0
	The Government Printer Public Offices Melbourne Books &c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		13: 16: 3
	Metropolitan Gas Company Number 186 Flinders Street Melbourne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		4: 10: 1 11 This is the last entry on the page, below is which inserted by hand the subtotal amount £477 2 0. The top of the next page has the same amount, also inserted by hand.
	Dr Maudsley of Number 8 Collins Street Physician consultation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		4: 4: 0
			£481 6: 0

	SUMMARY

	Total Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		1,035: O: 6
	Total Liabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		481: 6: 0
	Balance for duty. . . . . . . . . . . .		£553: 14: 6


	I certify that the net amount of this estate to be £. the amount chargeable with full duty to be £ and under Section 116 of the Act 1060 £

	Officer to Assess Probate Duty
	/ /96 12 The spaces for the amounts have been left unfilled and the form has not been signed or dated. However, the cover of the bundle carries the statement: 'I certif y that there is no duty payable hereon ', signed by '[F] J H Poole Officer under Sec. 96 of the Act 1060 26/11/96'. Section 96 of the Administration and Probate Act 1890 enabled a clerk in the office of the Master of the Court to be appointed to undertake the duties specified to be carried out by the Master. The seventh Schedule, part 1, specified the amounts of duty to be paid; there was no duty on amounts under £1000. This amount was not changed in the Administration and Probate Act 1892 where the scale of duty was adjusted.