12/12/85
It is a long time, dear Madam, since any Lady went to so much trouble, to send me a collection of plants, such as I received lately from you. The value of the specimens is much enhanced by the native names you so carefully ascertained. All such plants are preserved in the great Gov. Collection, which I founded, now about half a million specimens; and with some ordinary care these collections can be preserved for centuries, so that your notes of the aboriginal names can be consulted with these plants, long after the Darling-tribes1 have passed away.
Moreover the plants will continue in my Museum for ages to come the testimony of the original vegetation of each district, after changes through culture and settlement will have obliterated many of the indigenous plants largely and even in some cases entirely.
May I beg of you, dear Mrs Kennedy, to continue your searches after plants, especially as you need not trouble to send large specimens (however valuable they are), such as in this instance Mr Gayer so obligingly brought. Small specimens (in flower or fruit) closely packed into little packages would come quite well by post as parcels, if the edges are kept up, and merely a cross-string or tape is tied to hold the parcels. Successive posts would bring them. Perhaps you have friends far N. West, any where towards Central Australia to ask to collect also, whose sendings would be from entirely new ground. Even your collections contained some rarities, the new locality to be noted in my works under your honored name. All specimens are labelled, the name of the finder attached, and kept for perpetual reference in my Department.2
With regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller
Please cite as “FVM-85-12-12,” 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 23 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/85-12-12