Ferdinand von Mueller

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Printed circular sent to C. Topp, Under Secretary, as an enclosure with W. Baldwin Spencer to C. Topp, 26 November 1897.

Baron von Mueller National

Memorial Fund.

At a public meeting held in the Town Hall of Melbourne on Monday, 15th November, 1897, at which the Mayor of Melbourne presided, a Committee

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The names of the members of the General Committee and those of the Executive Committee are listed on a printed sheet enclosed with this letter.

was appointed to secure the establishment of some permanent memorial to commemorate the great services rendered by the late Baron von Mueller.

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some permanent … Mueller is underlined presumably by C. Topp.

A movement has already been initiated by the Executors of the late Baron to secure funds with which to erect a Tombstone, and, whilst sympathising with this object, the Committee now appointed, to avoid confusion, desires it to be understood that the Tombstone Fund, with which the Executors are alone concerned, and the National Memorial Fund,

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Tombstone Fund and National Memorial Fund are printed in bold type.

with which the present Committee is concerned, are quite distinct from one another.

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Most of this paragraph has been underlined, presumably by Topp.

Whilst nominally the Government Botanist of Victoria, it is well known that the Baron von Mueller's assistance was sought by and always freely given not only to public bodies but to private individuals in all parts of Australia. Apart from his purely scientific work, upon the value of which it is unnecessary to dwell, the Baron von Mueller devoted himself to the development of the more practical side of various branches of work, such as those connected with Forestry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Pharmacy and, not least, Geographical Exploration. His own explorations in early days, both in Northern Australia as botanist in the expedition under Mr. A. C. Gregory,

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North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

and when, subsequently, he traversed alone the then little known wilds of Gippsland,

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M's major exploring expeditions in Victoria were undertaken before he went with Gregory.

were of considerable importance, and his deep interest in and the practical assistance which he rendered to the explorations of others are well known.

Not only did he spend his whole life in the furtherance of the work in which, from the nature of his position, he was most deeply interested, but he devoted practically the whole of his income to the assistance of those who were engaged in work the object of which was to increase our knowledge of the nature and products of Australasian lands.

The object of this Committee is to secure sufficient funds to allow of the establishment of some permanent Memorial which shall worthily perpetuate his name;

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The object … name is underlined presumably by Topp.

and whilst it is not possible as yet to state definitely the form which the Memorial will take, it is hoped that sufficient funds will be forthcoming to provide for (1) the erection of some form of statue, and (2) the endowment of a Medal, Prize or Scholarship, to be associated with Baron von Mueller's name and to be awarded from time to time in recognition of distinguished work in the special branches in which he was most deeply interested, and which shall be open to workers throughout the Australasian colonies.

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No statue was erected. At the meeting of the Council of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science held in Hobart on 8 January 1902, the proposal of the Committee of the Baron von Mueller National Memorial Fund was agreed to, that the money collected by the committee should be placed in the hands of the Association 'for the purpose of founding a medal … to be awarded not more frequently than every second year to the author of the most important contribution, or series of contributions, to natural knowledge, published originally within His Majesty's dominions within a period of not more than five, nor less than one year, of the date of the award, preference being always given to work having special reference to Australasia'.

Subscriptions to the Fund may be sent to the Hon. Treasurer, addressed to the College of Pharmacy, Swanston Street, Melbourne, or to the Hon. Secretaries, addressed to the University of Melbourne, and will be duly acknowledged .