[Royal Soc. Medal. For copy of Agt Genls despatch fwding.]1
The Royal Society of London had awarded M one of its two Royal Medals for 1888 'for his long services in Australian exploration, and for his Investigations of the flora of the Australian Continent'. The Agent General, Graham Berry, was invited to receive the Medal on M's behalf and 'transmit it at your convenience to Baron von Mueller' (M. Foster to G. Berry, 9 November 1888 (Royal Society of London Archives, NLB/2/806)), and did so at the Society's Anniversary Meeting held on 30 November, afterwards forwarding the medal to Melbourne.
In the present letter, M is asking to see the despatch that would have accompanied the medal. His letter was returned to him on 6 February 1889 minuted: 'See attached file'. A request from the Premier's Department that the Agent-General's despatch be returned was referred from the Chief Secretary's Office to M on 13 February, minuted 'Return file'. M did so on 16 February with his thanks, and the file was sent to the Premier's Department on 22 February.
In the meantime, M had sent thanks to the Chief Secretary for passing on the medal, with an acknowledgment of Berry's help in the matter (letter not found). On 7 March 1889, W. Sewell, Acting Secretary, Premier's Office, wrote to Thomas Wilson, Under Secretary in the Chief Secretary's Office, in reply to a query that 'I am directed by the Premier to inform you that a copy of Sir F. von Mueller's letter to the Honorable the Chief Secretary expressing thanks for the awards of the Royal Society medals to him has been sent to the Agent General, covered by a letter drawing attention to the paragraph wherein the Government Botanist acknowledges Sir Graham Berry's goodness and interest in the matter'. Wilson forwarded this letter to M on 9 March for information, and he returned the file 'with best thanks' on 11 March.
Letter not found; item is a register entry only, dated 5 February 1889.
Please cite as “FVM-89-02-00,” 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