From Ellis Rowan to Ferdinand von Mueller   23 Mar 1890

Vic.

Shark Bay, WA.

Letter not found. The text given here is from a facsimile, presented as an eight-page leaflet, on the front page of which are the decorated initials 'E R' and a printed heading, 'Ellis Rowan, 1848-1922. | Baron Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller 1825-1896, Government Botanist of the State of Victoria 1852-1896.' The second page has a pencil sketch captioned: 'Ellis Rowan: A drawing by The Lady Casey from a photograph taken in about 1875'. The text of the letter is on the third and fourth pages. The fifth page is marked: 'Reproduction of a letter from Ellis Rowan to Baron Sir Ferdinand Von Mueller late 19th Century.' On the sixth page is printed a photograph of a label, the writing on which is partly obscured by flowers, marked by M: 'Helipterum Manglesii F.v.Mueller' and, in another hand, '[...] Mrs Rowans, Pictures. 19-20 West Perth'. A caption on the opposite page identifies it as 'Baron von Mueller's identification note of a wild flower specimen sent to the National Herbarium, Melbourne by Ellis Rowan'. The seventh page also shows a photograph of the plaque at the Melbourne Herbarium in memory of M: the caption to this notes that M's 'interest in Mrs Rowan's work was unflagging'. There are no details about when, why or by whom the leaflet was published.

Rowan was collecting in Western Australia in 1889 (Maroske & Vaughan (2014)), and this letter could have been written at any time after she returned to Victoria and before she went to England c.1893 (George (2009)). The letter is tentatively dated to 1890 as the earliest date it would likely have been written.