To Joseph Hooker   1 January 1883

1/1/83

This Christmas was rendered to me particularly happy, dear Sir Joseph, by the great Music Festival, ¹ and more so still by the sudden arrival at Christmas of the Clarke’s Memorial Medal for 1883, bestowed so kindly and unexpectedly on me by the R.S. of NSW. ² Had I had the slightest notion, that this great prize was intended for me, I should certainly have advocated, that you as Senior and with so much higher claims received it first. Your scientific services embrace the whole world, my ³ only Australia. I am however glad to learn, that Mr Bentham received this treasurable distinction two years ago; last year it was awarded to the great Geologist Dana. I received it by unanimous votes.

I am somewhat astonished at the request, made by Mr Howitz on you, and must assume, that it was under the pressure of circumstances. ⁴ He was anxious to secure a leading Forester's position in the new service of N.S. Wales, and he would be particularly fitted as head of the calculating and draftsmen-branch by virtue of his mathematic knowledge and artistic skill. It was unreasonable, to ask admittance at Kew except as a Volunteer for a short time, and to expect that valuable time of your own should be given up to him. I fear, his large and yet young family and the illness of his accomplished Lady, whom he married here (a Victorian) consumed all his fund, so that he could not muster the passage money for the family to N.S.W.

He was here one of the many unfortunate victims of the politic egotism of men in power. As he held a position, while Lieutenant, at the Danish Court, he ought to have no difficulty to secure a few lines of recommendation from H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, and thus secure the Sydney appointment, which he covets, especially as his wife finds the Middle European Winters too cold. I took some interest in his fate, as the Howitz-family belonged originally to Rostock, my native town, where my father was a befriended neighbour of an uncle of the Danish Gentleman, the Commerzien-Rath ⁵ Howitz in Rostock, as I well remember from my early boyhood.

With regardful remembrance

Ferd von Mueller

The program-book of the festival will interest Lady Hooker and Mrs Dyer, if they imagine 90 professional musicians to be in the orchestra and 900-1000 Singers in the chorus. The performance of Haendel's Messiah and especially of Beethovens Choral Symphony was absolutely sublime! Altogether these were the grandest Concerts ever given in Australia and perhaps anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Had it not been for the Exhibition of 1880-1881, which left us the magnificent building with its costly organ, we would have had no space for such concerts.