To Harry Ord1    20 November 1877

Perth, 20 Nov. 1877.

To his Excellency General Sir Harry Ord, C.B.,

K.C.M.G., Governor of West Australia, &c.

 

Sir.

I have the honor to solicit your Excellency, to be admitted for naturalisation in West-Australia. My oath of allegiance to her Britannic Majesty has been rendered already 30 years ago in South-Australia and 20 years since in Victoria, and I seek now to obtain the same privilege in the colony governed by your Excellency. I was born in Rostock on the Baltic shores in 1825, on the 30. June. I studied at the University of Kiel, am a Doctor of Philosophy and also of Medicine, hold the appointment of Gov. Botanist of Victoria uninterruptedly since 1852,2 was created a Baron (with hereditary rank) of the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg in 1871, and was honored by her Majesty with the Companionship of the order of St Michael and George, being included among those first appointed when that royal distinction was extended to the colonies. I have traversed a portion of the northern territory of West-Australia as Naturalist of the expedition, sent out by his Grace the Duke of Newcastle under Mr Aug. Gregory, C.M.G., in 1855 and 1856.3 West Australia was revisited by me in 1867 for the phytologic examination of the Stirling's Ranges and the surrounding country; it is my intention to continue my phytographic researches in your territory by periodic visits, having shared largely in the investigation of the West-Australian plants since 1847, and this to a great extent on my private expense. I intend moreover to invest in land and other property in your colony, and shall always take a vivid interest in the development of its resources.

I have the honor to be,

your Excellency's

obedient and humble serv.

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

My full name is Ferdinand James Henry von Mueller.

1
MS annotation: 'Ans[were]d 26/11/77'. See R. Goldsworthy to M, 26 November 1877, in which M was informed that the Lieutenant Governor regretted 'that under the conditions of the Naturalisation Act 35 Victoria No. 2 he is unable to entertain your application in as much as it does not appear that you have come to reside in the Colony with the intention of settling therein'.
2
M's appointment as Government Botanist dated from 26 January 1853.
3
North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6; M was botanist,J. R. Elsey was the naturalist.

Please cite as “FVM-77-11-20,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/77-11-20