Document information
Physical location:
F97/2162, unit 972, VPRS 3992/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. M97.10.06Preferred Citation:
Alexander Macdonald to the Von Mueller Memorial Committee, 1897-10-06 [M97.10.06]. 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/M97-10-06-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026
1
Item is a typescript, evidently prepared for the meeting of the Memorial Committee
on 6 October 1897. MS annotation by William Potter at the head of the filed copy of
this report: 'Note — At a meeting of the Memorial Committee held on 4th of December 1896, the Executors
wer[e] expressly asked to act in regard to the grave and the family claim altogether
apart from the Memorial Committee. | W. Potter (a member of the Memorial Committee)'.
M's executors, William Potter and Alexander and Hermann Büttner, had launched a public
appeal to cover the cost of erecting a monument on M's grave. Meanwhile some of M's scientific friends had formed a separate Memorial Committee 'to secure sufficient funds to allow of the establishment of some
permanent Memorial which shall worthily perpetuate his name' that was formally established as a national
committee in November 1897; see W. Wiesbaden and W. Baldwin Spencer to the general
public, November 1897 (in this edition as M97-11-00).
REPORT OF THE HON. SECRETARY.
It will be in the recollection of Members of this Committee that at our last Meeting
held on the 4th December 1896, the Committee instructed me to write to the Member
for North Melbourne (Mr. Prendergast M.L.A.,) to ask that he would again bring the
subject of a memorial to the late distinguished Baron von Mueller before the Legislative
Assembly, and ascertain what the Government would contribute to the Memorial Committee.
I did so by letter on the 8th December, and as I received no reply, I asked Mr. Potter
to kindly wait upon Mr. Prendergast at the House, and induce him to put a question
to the Premier before the close of the season. This Mr. Potter did, and waited, I
am told until 2 o'clock a.m., to hear the question put. The Premier in answer promised to enquire
into the matter during recess.
2
Prendergast had previously suggested in Parliament the erection of a 'national memorial' to M (Victorian
Hansard, 12 November 1896, p. 3285). He was now recorded (Victorian
Hansard, 23 December 1896, p. 4953) as asking the Premier 'if the Government would be prepared to do anything in connexion
with perpetuating the memory of the late Baron von Mueller?'. 'He did not generally stand up', he went on, 'for the purpose of advocating the erection
of a monument to any man, but the late Baron von Mueller was worthy of some recognition.
There was a desire on the part of many honorable members that something should be
done to perpetuate his memory. The Premier had already promised to consider the matter,
and he was sure the honorable gentleman would give it a fair and reasonable consideration.
He would like to know whether anything had yet been done to perpetuate the memory
of the late baron, who was one of the most learned men this country had ever known
and certainly a man from whom the country had received more benefit that from any
other citizen'. To this, the Premier, G. Turner, responded: 'I have had no opportunity of considering
the matter. I have promised to look into it.'
A few days before Mr. Turner left Melbourne for Adelaide, the late Baron's executors
waited upon the Premier to ascertain what the Government intended to do in relation
to the claim submitted in their letter of the 2nd December last.
At this interval, after drawing Sir George Turner's attention to the fact that Parliament
had granted £3200 to the widow of the late R.H. Francis of the Railway Department
in 1894-5, being a gratuity equal to one month's pay for each year of service, Mr.
Potter pointed
that if the same principle were applied to the Baron's case, it would give an amount
of £2286,
which could be allotted as follows: —
3
The deputation was reported the following day in the
Argus, 16 March 1897, p. 7.
4
out
omitted?
5
Error for £2886, as shown below.
|
Nine months' salary towards payment of debts
|
£ 600
|
|
Grant to Memorial Committee
|
£ 500
|
|
Balance to Baron's relatives
|
£1786
|
|
Total
|
£2886
|
and a memorandum to this effect was left with the Premier. No reply has yet come to
hand. Mr. Panton, I understand, subsequently saw the Premier on the subject.
On the 17th of March the Executors received a letter from the Premier's Department
to the following effect: —
"With reference to the case of the late Baron von Mueller, the Premier desires me
to say that the Cabinet has decided to grant nine months' pay as a gratuity, to be
paid to the executors at once. The Government will also,
if requested by the Memorial Committee
contribute towards the expense of a monument over the Baron's grave to a reasonable
amount."
(Signed) R. S. Rogers,
Secretary to the Premier.
Mr. Potter at once informed Mr. Panton and myself of the communication, and Mr. Panton's
view was that the executors should deal with the monument over the grave themselves,
apart altogether from the Memorial Committee. This I understood they intended to do,
and on Friday last, Mr. Potter showed me a photograph of the monument they had selected,
and a copy of the letter the executors published in the "Age" on Saturday last.
He also informed me that he intended to see the Premier upon the subject.
6
The letter requested donations toward the cost of erecting a monument on M's grave
(Age
(Melbourne), 2 October 1897, p. 10. See also the illustrated four-page pamphlet (in this edition as M97-00-00) which included a description of the proposed monument.
On Monday the 4th Inst., I wrote to Mr. C.A. Topp, asking him to inform me what amount
the Government had promised towards the erection of a suitable Public Memorial to
the late Baron von Mueller, apart from any other amount altogether, which had been
promised to the Baron's executors, and requesting the favor of a reply in time for
to-day's Meeting, no reply, however, has yet been received.
I understand that the Executors will ask the Committee to honour the Baron's memory
by (through its Chairman) unveiling the monument they propose to erect, when it shall
have been placed over the grave.
The Memorial Committee can afterwards take steps to procure some other practical way
of perpetuating the Baron's memory.
A. C. MACDONALD,
Hon. Secretary.
October 6th 1897.