Royal Geographical Society of Australasia.
Victorian Branch.
15 Market Buildings, Collins St West.
Melbourne 24th August 1887
Dear Sir,
The Council of the Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, being anxious that the exceptionally favorable season for exploration in Central Australia should not be lost, has induced Mr. Ernest Giles to come forward with the more particular intention of resuming his explorations from where he left off at Lake Amadeus in 1873; and with the object of traversing thence the country North Westerly as a distance of over 400 miles remains yet a blank on the Map in that direction.
The plan decided on is to equip a light party so as to reduce the expenditure to about £500: Mr Giles giving his services gratuitously for this enterprise.
While bringing this proposition under your consideration, the Council is pleading for the continuation of Geographical research in Australia because it is so eminently calculated to open up new resources from which all Colonies of this Continent must necessarily benefit; and further because the Council also urges on this occasion the claims of Science, which every Country in this Enlightened age is expected to promote.
As it is of importance that Mr. Giles, (the only Gold Medalist of the Royal Geographical Society, in this Colony) one of the most able, experienced, and courageous of living explorers, should take the field as speedily as possible, we would solicit from you an early and favorable reply.
We are
Dear Sir
Yours faithfully
Ferd. von Mueller, President
|
Crawford A D PascoHenry G TurnerG GordonJA PantonT F BrideFrank ScarrWm. PotterJohn J Shillinglaw |
} |
Members of Council |
A. C. Macdonald Hony. Secry. & Treasurer
Note — Stamped envelope enclosed for reply — please make your cheque payable to the "Central Australian Exploration fund". Crossed "Bank acct."2
The document is handwritten. Other handwritten copies have been found as follows: Editorial office of Petermanns geographische Mitteilungen (Briefsammlung, Archiv, Justus Perthes Verlag, Gotha), Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1882-90, f. 230), Royal Geographical Society (Royal Geographical Society, London, Archives, correspondence block 1880-90, Geographical Society of Australia), and NSW Branch, Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (ML MSS.2134/1, no. 2084, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney). The Sydney copy has been annotated by Edward Strickland, President of the NSW Branch: 'From the Royal Gl Society Victoria' and 'Acknowledged 29.10.87.' See E. Strickland to M et al, 29 October 1887.
The circular was printed in the Age, 17 September 1887, p. 10 (B87.09.01) and in numerous other newspapers throughout Australia, omitting the postscripted 'Note'. The published versions when printed in full included a post-script: 'Any gentleman's kind gift of 10 guineas to the exploration fund will entitle also to life membership of the society within Victoria. Smaller contributions will be proportionately recognised. Furthermore, any leading support will be lastingly rewarded by records on the geographical map of the forthcoming expedition.' Most of the published versions include the names of all signatories, but some give only M's name, for example the Colac herald, 20 September 1887, p. 3, which incorporates the postscript in the body of the letter.
Please cite as “FVM-87-08-24,” 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/87-08-24