Melbourne
31/3/85.
The honorable Graham Berry, M.L.A.,
Chief Secretary
Sir
I have the honor to report, that the stems of the Todea- and Dicksonia-ferns, to be presented to the Imperial Austrian Ship "Saida" in return for sendings from the Vienna botanic museum, received last year, have this day in three large boxes been forwarded on board to Capt Fayenz, in accordance with the approval of the Government. I have been able, to add a box with dried Australian plants and also one with Victorian wood-specimens, for which the first Lieutenant of the "Saida" (Felix Falzari) particularly asked, trusting that also this will meet with your approbation. May I be allowed to suggest, that a letter be adressed to Commander Fayenz, by the Government, setting forth, that this presentation is made by and on behalf of the Victorian Government.
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller.2
Dicksonia
Todea
On 31 March 1885 the Under Secretary, T. Wilson, sent an urgent message to the Secretary to the Premier, E. Thomas: 'I shall be obliged if the Secretary to the Premier will inform me whether it is desired that a letter should go direct from his office or whether it will be sufficient in this instance if the Govt Botanist himself write a letter making the presentation in the name & on behalf of the Government'. The Premier, J. Service, instructed: 'Govt Bot[anis]t in name of Govt'. M was informed of the decision on 1 April.
See also M to H. Fayenz, 1 April 1885; H. Fayenz to M, April 1885 (in this edition as 85-04-00); and M to G. Berry, 9 April 1885.
Please cite as “FVM-85-03-31,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/85-03-31