15/2/89
Had I known, rev. & dear Sir, that you had passed through Melbourne, I would have made an effort, to find you out, and to enjoy again a conversation with you, wishing so genial a friend as yourself a prosperous voyage, happy stay in his native lands and joyous return to his attached congregation and numerous friends here.1 Let me thank you for the additional specimen of Boronia Barkeriana, which demonstrates its occurence so far south as the Shoal-haven River.
On account of our medical Congress having only been held so late as last month, the Council of the Austral. Assoc. for the advancement of science has resolved to postpone its Melbourne meeting til January 1890.2 So we can have also the pleasure of your participation in time.
Pray remember me kindly to the excellent President of the Linnean Society, who — so I learn lately — brought in the most generous and disinterested spirit his powerful interest to bear in the bestowal of H. M.'s Medal at the R.S. for 1888.3 I am much touched with this act of unexpected gracefulness from Dr Carruthers in his doubly high position.4
In 1888 I have barely been able to work on new plants, as I had to finish the difficult work for the Key to the system of Vict. plants,5 to bring out an enlarged edition of the Select plants,6 to issue the 130 plates of the Austr. Acacias and allied genera,7 — and [more] — had as a professional head of a Department and as one of the Commissioners for the Centennial Exhibition8 much of additional duties also, quite irrespective of what the Presidency of the geographic Soc., the Vice Presidency of the Liedertafel and the Presidency of the therapeutic Section of the Medic. Congress involved for extra-exertions
9With regardful remembrance
your Ferd. von Mueller
Kindly remember me also to Mr Britten;10 he will soon have notes and descriptions of Papuan plants
Whatever of my works is not sent through the public Library is a private gift
My new publications are just going through the public library here to the British Museum also
Boronia Barkeriana
Collie left Sydney on 2 February 1889 on 10 months' leave from his post as Minister of Newtown Presbyterian Church (Daily telegraph (Sydney) 2 February 1889, p. 4).
The second session of the Intercolonial Medical Congress of Australasia was held in Melbourne in January 1889. M was President of the Second Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Melbourne in January 1890.
M was awarded one of the Royal Society of London’s two Royal Medals for 1888.
Carruthers was President of the Linnean Society. It is not clear what other 'high position' is intended: Carruthers was not a member of the Council of the Royal Society; nor do his obituaries mention other society offices in this period. It may be a reference to his official position as Keeper of Botany at the British Museum (Natural History).
B88.11.02.
B88.12.01.
B88.13.01. The first 70 of the 130 plates had been issued earlier, B87.13.04.
International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1888, marking the centenary of the first European settlement in Australia.
The valediction and postscripts are written in the margins of the letter.
James Britten.
Identification confirmed by the label on Boronia barkeriana specimens in the Melbourne herbarium collected from the Shoalhaven River, NSW: Collie collected specimens MEL 2097894 in February 1889 and MEL 2097895 in '1888'.
Please cite as “FVM-89-02-15,” 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