STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Royal Botanic Gardens

November 2016

Prepared for Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

 Context Pty Ltd 2016

Project Team:

Annabel Neylon, Associate

Catherine McLay, Heritage Consultant

Lorinda Cramer, Consulting Museologist

Report Register This report register documents the development and issue of the report entitled State Botanical Collection Significance Assessment undertaken by Context Pty Ltd in accordance with our internal quality management system.

Project Issue Notes/description Issue Issued to No. No. Date

2115 1 Working draft 07/07/16 Grant Cameron 2115 2 Final draft report 02/09/16 Grant Cameron 2115 3 Final report (draft) 2/11/16 Grant Cameron 2115 4 Final report 28/11/16 Grant Cameron

Context Pty Ltd 22 Merri Street, Brunswick VIC 3056 Phone 03 9380 6933 Facsimile 03 9380 4066

Email [email protected] Web www.contextpl.com.au

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CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY V Overview v Assessment findings vi 1 INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Scope 2 1.3 Assessment framework 2 1.3.1 Definitions 2 1.3.2 Criteria for assessment 3 1.3.3 National themes 3 1.4 Acknowledgements 3 2 METHODOLOGY 5 2.1 Assessment methodology 5 2.1.1 National guidelines 5 2.1.2 Method 5 3 HISTORICAL OUTLINE 6 3.1 National historic themes 6 3.2 Contextual history 7 3.2.1 in 7 3.2.2 Developing the National Herbarium of Victoria 9 3.2.3 The National Herbarium of Victoria today 11 4 COLLECTION DESCRIPTION 14 4.1 Specimen Collection 14 4.1.1 Overview 14 4.2 Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection 17 4.2.1 Overview 17 4.2 Collection condition 20 4.3 Facility conditions 21 4.4 Provenance and modifications 24 4.4.1 Specimen Collection 24 4.4.2 Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection 24 4.5 Collection data 25 5 COLLECTION USES 26 5.1 Access 26 5.1.1 Physical access 26 5.1.2 Digital access 26 5.2 Users 27 5.3 Research areas 27 5.4 Survey 28 5.4.1 Background 28 5.4.2 Who responded 29 5.4.3 Access 29 5.4.4 Use values 29 5.5 Interpretation 31

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6 COLLECTION THEMES 34 6.1 Early European exploration of Australia 34 6.2 Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions 38 6.3 Twentieth-century Australian collectors 47 6.4 Nineteenth-century foreign collectors 50 6.5 Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment 57 6.6 Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature 62 6.7 Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria 69 6.8 Representing Australian flora in art 74 7 COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT 80

8 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT 84 8.1 Analysis 84 8.3 Statement of Significance 88 9 RECOMMENDATIONS 90 9.1 Recommendations 90 9.2 Action plan 92 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY 95

11 GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS 99

APPENDIX A: RECORD OF CONSULTATION AND RESEARCH 100

APPENDIX B: COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT RESEARCH DATA 101

APPENDIX C: COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS 116

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview The State Botanical Collection (hereafter referred to as the ‘SBC’) at the National Herbarium of Victoria (with the international herbarium code ‘MEL’) is the oldest scientific collection in the State. It was established by Ferdinand Mueller in 1853 upon his appointment as the colony’s first Government Botanist, and has grown into one of the largest and richest herbarium collections in Australia. The SBC is made up of two components: The Specimen Collection of approximately 1.5 million Australian and foreign-collected , algae and fungi specimens (referred to using the broad collective term of ‘’ hereafter in this report). The Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection comprising approximately 40,000 items of primary and secondary botanical reference material and works of art that complement the Specimen Collection. The SBC is a working collection that continues to grow at a rate of approximately 6,000 to 8,500 specimens and hundreds of items of printed material per year, and is widely used by Australian and international scientists, botanists, historians, artists and others. The SBC is housed in the National Herbarium of Victoria (the ‘Herbarium’) at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (the ‘RBGV’), Gardens. Guided by the RBGV’s vision that ‘life is sustained and enriched by plants’ and associated mission that ‘every interaction with us advances the understanding and appreciation of plants’1, the Herbarium’s programs focus on scientific research, documenting and conserving biodiversity, and providing the community with access to its invaluable working repository. The Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991 (the Act) provides for the management of the RBGV and the National Herbarium of Victoria, with two of its six objectives directly related to the SBC: 5 (b) to conserve and enhance the State Botanical Collection and National Herbarium; 5 (c) to provide for the use of the State Botanical Collection … for scientific or reference purposes, consistent with accepted international practice.2 The SBC is currently valued at more than $250,000,000 for insurance purposes.3 This collection significance assessment was commissioned by the RBGV to assess the SBC’s standing against the Collections Council of Australia’s Significance 2.0: A Guide to Assessing the Significance of Collections criteria and thresholds. The assessment considers the entire SBC (including specimens, books, journals, artworks, documents, objects and ephemera), drawing out a number of key themes that connect the two components of the collection. This report will allow the RBGV to consider the significance of the SBC in future collection management decisions, as well as in its conservation and community engagement approach.

1 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Plant Sciences and Biodiversity Division, Master Plan 2016 to 2020 (PSBD Master Plan), p. 2. 2 Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991, Version No. 025, incorporating amendments as at 1 March 2015, p. 4. 3 Valuer-General Victoria, Valuation of the Herbarium Collection owned by Royal Botanic Gardens for Financial Reporting purposes fort the financial year ending 30 June 2016, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Melbourne, 2016, p. 15; Valuer-General Victoria, Assessment for Fair Value of the Royal Botanic Gardens Collection of Artworks, Furniture and Fine Arts and Literature for the Royal Botanic Gardens for Financial Reporting Purposes for the Financial Year ending 30th June 2016 and Insurance Purposes as at the Date of Inspection, Dominion Group (Vic) Pty Ltd, Melbourne, p. 8.

v STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Assessment findings This collection significance assessment has identified that the State Botanical Collection as a whole holds historic, artistic and aesthetic, scientific and research significance at both a national and state level, the potential for historical and scientific and research significance at an international level and social significance at a local level. The State Botanical Collection is important both in the depth and breadth of its collections. Material in the SBC illustrates many important stories central to global exploration and the discovery of Australia, as well as to Australian inland expeditions of the nineteenth century, which helped to shape settlement of the continent. It comprises information about the growth of botany as a scientific discipline in Australia, increased botanical knowledge of Australia’s flora (both in Australia and globally), and our understanding of the country’s diverse and changing plant life. The SBC is a critical resource in taxonomic study, that is, in the identification, description and classification of plants, algae and fungi, and is especially important in holding the largest collection of Type specimens (both Australian and foreign) in Australia. It comprises essential material that enables research into biodiversity, conservation and changing environmental conditions – areas that have witnessed considerable growth in recent years. Furthermore, the Specimen Collection is valuable to the international research community through its rich foreign collection, and a survey of users of the SBC reveals its importance to this global audience. The foreign collection includes examples of extinct, rare and endangered material, enables comparative research on the distribution of plants throughout the world, and provides essential risk mitigation against potential losses at herbaria in other countries. The SBC is therefore an essential research tool for botanists and scientists, with its holdings of considerable research significance now and into the future. The Specimen Collection is complemented by the SBC’s extensive and diverse Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection. This collection underpins all work undertaken at the Herbarium, provides rich historical resource material, and facilitates research and the acquisition of knowledge. Particularly rich in nineteenth-century material, the Library contains the published and unpublished manuscripts of some of Australia’s most respected botanists, including Ferdinand Mueller, in addition to botanists and scientists of international acclaim. The archive comprises comprehensive material on the history and development of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, while the Botanical Art collection includes artworks from Australia’s finest botanical artists from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. This collection significance assessment has identified that the SBC holds items of historic, artistic and aesthetic, scientific and research and social significance. It has important links to global exploration and the discovery and settlement of Australia. Its associations with celebrated explorers and botanists, many of whom have shaped our knowledge of new lands and their plant life, is especially strong. Furthermore, it has immense research potential in the richness of the Specimen Collection, enhanced by the extensive primary and secondary resources held by the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection. Together they enable investigations into diverse areas of botany not only in Australia but worldwide, in addition to related people, places and events. The SBC holds many items of high aesthetic value, particularly in the fine works of art produced by some of Australia’s most respected botanical artists, and extending to the rare books that comprise some of the earliest accurate depictions of plants. These primary criteria are strengthened by the comparative criteria of provenance, rarity/representativeness, condition/completeness and interpretative capacity which are evident throughout the SBC. The provenance of the collection is especially strong, and vital to the use of specimens as a research tool. Some items in the SBC are rare while others are unique, that is, specimens that are critically endangered or presumed to be extinct or primary source material is not available elsewhere. However, many other items are representative, illustrating for example the plant life of Victoria since the earliest European collection of

vi specimens. The SBC therefore holds immense interpretative capacity, and the potential to illuminate themes important to our natural and cultural history. Its social significance to communities today is at a local level, while some items are significant at a state level, particularly the comprehensive collection of Victorian specimens and related literature. Others are of national importance and tell stories significant to Australia as a nation, revealing critical aspects of our natural and cultural history. The SBC also holds material significant at an international level in recording and documenting plants from countries around the globe, and the explorers, botanists and scientists who have played a key role in the discovery and dissemination of botanical knowledge. Through the comparative research conducted on comparable collections as part of the assessment, the SBC has been identified as holding particularly rich collections of material related to Australia’s mapping and inland expeditions, of specimens collected or amassed by nineteenth-century foreign plant collectors and explorers, important comprehensive collections developed by twentieth-century Australian collectors, specimens integral to documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment, the most comprehensive collection of material related to the history and operations of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the Herbarium since their inception to the present day (of which Mueller played an essential role), and a rich Botanical Art collection that contains the work of a number of Australia’s finest botanical artists. Through the comparative assessment conducted, the SBC has been identified as:  One of the largest and most complete collections in Australia on the early European exploration of the continent, and notable for being the largest and most complete collection by Robert Brown and Jacques Labillardière, especially of indigenous material;  The largest and most complete collection documenting major nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions within Australia, through both specimen and written material;  The largest and most complete collection in Victoria recording the botanical diversity of the State, through its expansive specimen and literature collections;  One of the largest and most complete collections of twentieth-century Australian specimen collectors;  The largest and most complete collection in Australia of foreign botanical material dating from the nineteenth century, through its holdings of specimen material not found in other Australian or foreign collections, notably by Otto Sonder;  One of the largest and most comprehensive collections of specimens representing Australia’s known flora across time, and therefore an invaluable resource for documenting, understanding and conserving the nation’s changing environment;  The largest collection of Type specimens (the first description of a plant and the specimen against which the scientific name is attached) in Australia, both Australian and foreign;  One of the largest and most complete collections within Australia of rare books and published material, documenting both indigenous and foreign botanical history and research;  The largest and most complete collection of material within Australia documenting the history and operations of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Melbourne Gardens;  The largest and most complete collection in Australia of specimen and archival material relating to Ferdinand Mueller, a prolific botanical collector and figure of national importance;  One of the largest and richest collections of botanical paintings, illustrations and prints in Australia, extending from the nineteenth century up to the present;

vii STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION  The most comprehensive collection with immense interpretative potential when compared with other collections identified in Australia, given the breadth and quality of item types, the interrelationship between the Library and Herbarium, and the integral tangible connection between the SBC and Melbourne Gardens. This report closes with a number of recommendations relating to the need for increased storage space in which to properly house the SBC, staff resourcing to enable its full curation, the importance of making the Collections accessible to both a scientific research community and the general public, and ongoing collection management and preservation activities.

viii STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background The National Herbarium of Victoria’s Specimen and Library Collections share a common origin: both were developed through the efforts of Ferdinand Mueller following his appointment as the first Victorian Government Botanist in 1853. Over subsequent decades, Mueller’s extensive collecting, his contact with collectors in Australia and overseas and regular specimen exchanges, grew the Herbarium into one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere – estimated in 1894 to comprise over one million specimens. Simultaneously, Mueller amassed rich holdings of botanical literature essential to his work. Mueller’s activities are the foundation of the State Botanical Collection as it is known today, and this cannot be overstated. The Specimen and Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collections remain a vital contributor to taxonomic research, and hold an essential place in documenting and understanding the diversity of flora globally. The specimens form a unique record of plants over time and are used to track species’ changing distribution patterns and to advise on conservation practices, while the Library is an essential adjunct to the curation and research activities conducted at the Herbarium and by those who utilise its repository.

1.2 Scope This significance assessment was commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in order to clearly articulate the significance of the SBC within the Australian national framework. Given the current estimated size of the Specimen Collection at 1.5 million items and the Library at 40,000 items, the scope of this assessment focuses on the Collection as a whole, drawing specifically on collection themes and individual items within those themes to illustrate the important overarching stories it embodies. The SBC holds a large amount of foreign material across its two components. With this assessment drawing on the Australian national framework, foreign collection items have been addressed by the consultants for their ability to demonstrate how the SBC forms part of a global community of botanical and scientific exchange.

1.3 Assessment framework This assessment follows the framework set out in Significance 2.0: A Guide to Assessing the Significance of Collections, published by the Collections Council of Australia in 2009. Significance 2.0 is the accepted methodological tool for conducting significance assessments within Australia, determining the threshold of significance at either a local, state, or national level. There is currently no international framework for assessing collections, and so the consultants have used foreign collection items to highlight the relevance of the SBC on a global scale. The assessment process involved an investigation into each of the elements that contribute to collection meaning including history, context, and provenance. It compared items and collections against ‘like’ others in order to understand its differences and strengths. Given the SBC’s articulation of predominantly state, national and international themes, ‘like’ collections were identified for comparison through their ability to represent a similar breadth of themes on a corresponding scale; i.e. state and national collecting institutions. On the basis of this research, a Statement of Significance that articulates the meaning of the SBC, and how and why it is significant, was prepared.

1.3.1 Definitions ‘Significance’ refers to the value and meaning of objects and collections for people and communities, and Significance 2.0 enables an analysis of these values and meanings through consideration against the four primary and four comparative criteria shown below.

2 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT ‘Threshold’ refers to the relative level of significance of a collection, which is established primarily through comparison with similar collections. Based on the scope of this assessment within the Australian national framework, the SBC threshold is defined as national.

1.3.2 Criteria for assessment The primary and comparative criteria set out below are taken from Significance 2.0 and were used as the basis for this assessment.

Primary criteria Primary criteria are used to evaluate the type(s) of significance: Historical significance demonstrates associations with a particular person, group, event, place or activity; provides information about an historic theme or pattern; or contributes to our understanding of these. Aesthetic significance demonstrates fine design or construction; is a good example of a particular style or artistic movement; is original or innovative; or is accomplished in its creative or technical execution. Scientific or Research significance holds scientific value or research potential both now and in the future, and rests on a well-documented context. Social or Spiritual significance is of particular value to a community or group today; is used by groups or maintained by traditional practices; or embodies belief, ideas and stories that are important for a contemporary group of people.

Comparative criteria Comparative criteria are used with, and to provide context to, the primary criteria. They evaluate the degree of significance: Provenance requires documentation of who made, owned or used the item; its origin; and a chain of ownership. Rarity and Representativeness is unique or endangered; an unusual or fine example of its type; is typical or characteristic. Condition or Completeness considers the condition of an object or collection and intactness. Interpretive capacity relates to the organisation’s purpose; helps illuminate aspects of place and context.

1.3.3 National themes This assessment also used the Australian Historic Themes Framework, developed by the Australian Heritage Commission, to determine where and how the collection reflects particular themes important to the history of the nation. The Australian Historic Themes Framework identifies a comprehensive list of processes, approaches and themes that can be considered in developing an understanding of the significant elements of a collection, with the intention of providing a co-ordinated approach to heritage assessment across Australia.

1.4 Acknowledgements The consultants wish to acknowledge the contributions of the Project Working Group at the RBGV who contributed their valuable knowledge to the assessment, including:  David Cantrill, Executive Director Science  Pina Milne, Manager, Collections  Sally Stewart, Librarian  Jenny Steinicke, Executive Director Corporate

3 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION  Grant Cameron, Senior Project Manager, Surface Consulting Pty Ltd. The knowledge and expertise of the Collections Branch at the RBGV is also gratefully acknowledged. The consultants also wish to thank the individuals who shared their views and experiences of the SBC through the online survey, and the staff at Australian herbaria, museums, galleries and other collecting institutions who generously helped with the comparative assessment process.

4 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT 2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Assessment methodology This assessment follows the methodological steps set out by the Collections Council of Australia for the assessment of heritage collections Australia-wide.

2.1.1 National guidelines The Significance 2.0 methodology is a nationally accepted museum industry standard comprising a step-by-step process for determining significance, as follows: o Step 1: Research history and provenance o Step 2: Consult knowledgeable people o Step 3: Explore the context of the collection o Step 4: Analyse and describe the collection’s fabric and condition o Step 5: Compare the collection with other examples o Step 6: Identify related places or collections o Step 7: Assess the significance against primary and comparative criteria o Step 8: Produce a statement of significance o Step 9: Develop recommendations for the collection, based on the assessment.

2.1.2 Method Aligning with this methodology, the assessment tasks conducted by the consultants included:  Consultation with managers of the collection in person at the RBGV on four separate occasions, both separately and as part of the project working group. This included an inception meeting, progress meeting, issues and opportunities workshop and, finally, a meeting after submission of the Draft Report. The consultants also maintained contact with the Manager, Collections and Librarian by phone and email throughout the course of the assessment.  Consultation with individuals and communities who hold associations with the Collection through developing an online survey of known users. This survey was analysed as part of the assessment to determine the SBC’s research potential and level of access.  Collection and historical research of primary and secondary sources, including an unpublished history of the SBC, policy documents, books, journal and newspaper articles and webpages.  Research of object catalogue files, including those available to the public and also internal information management systems utilised by the Librarian and Manager, Collections.  Establishing unofficial collection themes through which to explore the SBC, focusing on overarching themes rather than individual items as a basis to assess the significance, given the large size of the Collection.  Contact with other similar collections’ custodians to identify comparative collections by phone and email between July and August 2016, as well as desktop research of online catalogues where possible.  Visits to the Collection to inform and work on the assessment in its physical context, including a tour of storage areas and work rooms to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of the current Herbarium facility.

5 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 3 HISTORICAL OUTLINE

3.1 National historic themes The Australia Historic Themes Framework (Australia Heritage Commission 1998) was endorsed by the Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies in 2000 as a coordinated approach to encourage consistency in heritage assessments according to themes relevant at a national level. Table 1 below presents the relevant themes from the national framework. These have been used to illustrate where the State Botanical Collection sits within national historical narratives, and to situate the assessment. A detailed assessment of the representative collection themes under the Australian Historic Themes Framework can be found in Section 6 of this report.

Table 1. Historical themes

National Theme National framework sub- Representative collection themes themes

1. Tracing the evolution of 1.1 Tracing climatic and Nineteenth-century Australian the Australian environment topographical change inland expeditions 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Twentieth-century Australian Australian plants and animals collectors 1.3 Assessing scientifically Nineteenth-century foreign diverse environments collectors 1.4 Appreciating the natural Documenting and conserving wonders of Australia Australia’s changing environment

2. Peopling Australia 2.5 Promoting settlement Early European exploration of Australia Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions

3. Developing local, 3.1 Exploring the coastline Early European exploration of regional and national 3.3 Surveying the continent Australia economies 3.11 Altering the environment Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions

7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s Documenting Australian and heritage foreign flora in literature Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

8. Developing Australia’s 8.10.2 Creating visual arts Representing Australian flora in cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in art science and technology Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment

6 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

3.2 Contextual history

3.2.1 Botany in Australia Botany, the science of plant life, is said to be: embedded in human history, from its origins in two of the most ancient sciences of all, magic and medicine, through its long association with pharmacology, agriculture and horticulture, to its part in the exploration of the world, and in ensuring the supply of food and raw materials for the rise and maintenance of modern industrial society.4 The beginnings of the knowledge of plants originated as early as 10,000 years ago with the first attempts at plant cultivation. The earliest systematic and recorded knowledge of plants began as an adjunct to medicine, aiding in the documentation of plants thought useful in the treatment of injury or disease by cultures such as the ancient Egyptians.5 Modern botany – and the true scientific study of plants – emerged in Ancient , where Theophrastus (b.371— d.287 BCE) completed the first systemisation of the botanical world with Enquiry into Plants and On the Causes of Plants. In establishing botanical principles, and documenting and describing plants used at this time, his works became valuable sources for botanical knowledge. From the sixteenth century onwards, the medical uses of plants were promoted through the establishment of botanical gardens, in which plants were cultivated for their medicinal properties; while herbalists, physicians and botanists authored herbals, books which described plants and their medicinal values. Floras, or plant encyclopaedias that described and illustrated the plants of particular regions without their medicinal properties, were increasingly published from the seventeenth century. Global exploration brought newly-discovered plants to where they were systematically named, described and classified. It was in this context that the earliest plant specimens from New Holland (Australia) were collected. William Dampier was the first English explorer to arrive in Australia in 1688. During his second voyage to the western coast of New Holland eleven years later, Dampier made the first known detailed descriptions of Australian flora – noting its uniqueness and variety – and collected specimens including wild Bush Tomato (Solanum orbiculatum), the Sturt’s Desert Pea (Willdampia formosa), Coastal Spinifex ( dathoniodes) and Wire Wood Wattle ( coriacea).6 His account of the expedition, A Voyage to New Holland, was published in 1703 and included botanical drawings of Australian plant life (believed to have been made by his clerk, James Brand). Voyages to Australia increasingly focused on scientific exploration, to which botanists, gardeners and botanical artists were integral. Through the recording and collecting activities of these individuals, many new species of flora were discovered and described. Naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander travelled aboard Captain James Cook’s Endeavour, landing at eleven sites along the eastern coastline of Australia between April and August of 1770. Although most landings were brief, the specimens collected by Banks and Solander comprised the first major collection of Australian flora, consisting of 331 plants.7 Solander, a student of Carl Linnaeus (who had introduced a system of nomenclature that provided a new practical methodology for documenting and comparing plants of the world), rigorously catalogued specimens that included many unknown species. The specimens were used by Sydney Parkinson – who tragically died on the voyage – in his prolific botanical illustrations. Their Botany Bay landing in particular was to have significant implications for Australian history. With abundant animal and plant life, Cook changed his initial naming of Stingray Bay to Botany Bay to capture the

4 A.G. Morton, History of Botanical Science: An Account of the Development of Botany from Ancient Times to the Present Day, Academic Press, London, 1981, p. vi. 5 Ibid, pp. 3, 7. 6 Twenty-four specimens collected by Dampier in 1699 are in the collection of the Oxford Herbarium, see: Australian Broadcasting Commission, ‘Gardening Australia Factsheet: William Dampier’, 10 March 2000. 7 Toby Musgrave, Chris Gardner and Will Musgrave, The Plant Hunters: Two Hundred Years of Adventure and Discovery Around the World, Ward Lock, London, 1998, p. 30.

7 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION number of new plants discovered by his botanists, including , , grevilleas, and the genus named after Banks, the .8 His interest in the area and the subsequent planning of the site for a British penal colony is linked to the establishment of Australia as a nation.9 Although Joseph Banks did not return to Australia, he remained keenly interested in botanical investigations and was influential in other voyages of discovery. Jacques Labillardière was appointed naturalist on a voyage in search of the missing La Pérouse expedition in 1791, and when his scientific collections were seized as British spoils of the French Revolutionary Wars, Banks campaigned for their return. Banks’ success enabled Labillardière to return to France with his collections and, between 1804 and 1806, he described his New Holland specimens in Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen – the first general description of the . Banks was also instrumental in Matthew Flinders’ voyage to chart the New Holland coastline. In circumnavigating New Holland between 1801 and 1803, Flinders was the first to identify it as a continent. He was accompanied by gardener Peter Good, botanical artist Ferdinand Bauer and botanist Robert Brown, who collected nearly 3,900 plant specimens10 and produced a detailed (though concise) survey of the Australian flora known at that time, Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae (1810). With Joseph Banks as the horticultural advisor of Kew Gardens in London from 1772, Kew became the major European repository for foreign-collected plants, fulfilling his vision of it as ‘a great botanical exchange house for the Empire’.11 His first attempt to place seed collectors in Australia, from where they would return plants and seeds, failed. Kew-trained gardeners George Austin and James Smith were sent on the specially fitted ship the Guardian in 1789, however the ship hit an iceberg on the outward journey and their bodies were never recovered. Other Australian seed collections were only partially successful as, given the value of seeds, they found a ready market and did not always reach their intended recipient. Hence Governor Phillip, writing to Banks in November 1788, noted that a person (possibly a convict) he had employed to collect seeds had in fact sold most of them, leading to the suggestion that such seed collections may embody the first exploitation of Australia’s natural resources for financial gain in the history of European settlement.12 The growth of Australian settlements in the first half of the nineteenth century ran alongside a continued fascination with natural history. Increasing numbers of resident collectors – of diverse backgrounds ranging from men of education to convicts – sent specimens to botanists, particularly in Britain. Hence, many Australian species were originally described by European botanists who relied on acquisitions from Australian collectors. A turning point in Australian botany occurred with the arrival of Ferdinand Mueller, who was amongst the first residents to scientifically publish his own descriptions of Australian specimens.13 This period also witnessed establishment of the first botanic gardens in Australia, including those in Sydney in 1816, Melbourne in 1846 and in 1855. The nineteenth century was a time of Australian inland expeditions. These aimed to record parts of the continent unknown to Europeans, discover fertile pastoral country, locate water sources (including the potential for an inland sea), and uncover valuable minerals. Participants on many expeditions therefore made meticulous field notes about botany and geology. Government-sponsored expeditions in particular were required to keep a journal detailing

8 Ibid., p. 27. 9 Stephen D. Hopper, ‘From Botany Bay to Breathing Planet: an Australian perspective on plant diversity and global sustainability’, Pacific Conservation Biology, Vol 19, 2013, p. 356. 10 Australian National Herbarium and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, ‘Information about Australia’s Flora: Australian Botanical History’, 24 December 2015. 11 Hopper, ‘From Botany Bay to Breathing Planet …’, op. cit., p. 358. 12 R.M. Barker and W.R. Barker, ‘Botanical contributions overlooked: the role and recognition of collectors, horticulturalists, explorers and others in the early documentation of the Australian flora, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc., South Yarra, 1990, pp. 52—3. 13 Ibid., pp. 37-8.

8 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT observations and occurrences, with attention paid to the animals, plants and minerals they encountered, and especially those with potential economic importance. The most remarkable were to be collected, together with seeds of any unknown plants.14 Ferdinand Mueller, described as the ‘most influential botanist of this period’, took part in some of these journeys of exploration, and from them he began building what was described by the Royal Society of London in 1925 as ‘the first great botanical collection in the Southern Hemisphere, and the future centre of all scientific work on the Australian flora’15 – now known as the National Herbarium of Victoria. The botanical sciences in Australia advanced in the second half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, driven by agriculture and forestry. Research into microbiology, plant breeding (particularly wheat), plant pathology and plant physiology developed, alongside study into the cause and control of plant diseases, the quality of crops, the improvement of yield, and the stress on plants caused by drought.16 Field collecting remains important in the twentieth and now the twenty-first centuries, while the study of botany has shifted via scientific advances in physics and chemistry, and improved scientific instruments and tools. It is now possible to analyse plant structure at DNA or molecular level. Herbarium specimens remain a vital research tool for botanists and scientists generally for the rich information they contain about the distribution and use of plants over time, and the history and practice of plant collecting. Current research trends focus on plant, fungi and algae systematics and biodiversity, identifying emerging weed species and the movement of invasive species, restoration initiatives to protect native flora and combat extinction, and understanding the effects of climate change, for example, earlier flowering in response to a warming climate.17

3.2.2 Developing the National Herbarium of Victoria The National Herbarium of Victoria is the oldest scientific institution in the State, founded by Ferdinand Mueller (b.1825—d.1896) in 1853 when he was appointed the first Government Botanist of Victoria on 26 January. German-born Mueller commenced an apprenticeship in pharmacy at the age of 14, introducing him to botany via a growing knowledge of plants and their medicinal properties required by his training. Mueller became a qualified pharmacist, however his passion for botany strengthened. He collected enthusiastically and with his thesis on the flora from south-west Schleswig, Mueller was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from Kiel University.18 He arrived in Adelaide in 1847, a location well known to German migrants, and devoted much of his first five years in to investigating its flora. Mueller departed Adelaide for Melbourne in 1852, and the following year was appointed government botanist by Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe — a position he held until his death in 1896. During his first decade in Victoria Mueller made several expeditions around the colony, often travelling hundreds of kilometres on horseback to collect specimens of the indigenous vegetation of Victoria. In his first 15 months alone, he is estimated to have covered 6,400km, and collected 1,459 previously unrecorded species of plants.19 Mueller therefore announced in his earliest official report as Government Botanist:

14 Ibid., p. 69. 15 D.J. Carr and S.G.M. Carr, People and Plants in Australia, Academic Press, Sydney, 1981, p. xiii. 16 Ibid., pp. xiii—xiv. 17 Jun Wen, Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond, Marc S. Appelhans, Laurence J. Dorr and Vicki A. Funk, ‘Collections- based systematics: Opportunities and outlook for 2050’, Journal of Systematics and Evolution, vol. 53, iss. 6, November 2015, p. 477. 18 Sara Maroske, ‘Memories of Mueller’, Botanic Magazine, vol. 7, May 1997, p. 10. 19 J.H. Willis, ‘Melbourne: a focal point for early botanical activity’, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc, South Yarra, 1990, p. 1.

9 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION In accordance with His Excellency’s instructions a collection of dried specimens of plants has been commenced for the Government. This Herbarium will be at all times accessible to the public, and will hereafter contribute, I trust, to diffuse, more and more, knowledge of our vegetable world.20 In 1857 Mueller was appointed Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens while retaining his post as Government Botanist. One of his first acts as Director was the construction of a herbarium building adjacent to the Botanic Gardens, to which he contributed his own extensive collection. Located in Kings Domain near the present-day site of the Shrine of Remembrance, the herbarium was completed in 1861 following Mueller’s repeated petitioning of the government. Within a year it had reached its capacity of 160,000 specimens. By 1865 it held about 286,000 specimens; approximately 350,000 in 1868; more than 500,000 in 1888; 750,000 in 1891, and by 1894 Mueller suggested the herbarium consisted of approximately one million specimens.21 Mueller intended that the herbarium serve multiple functions: primarily for the development and maintenance of a specimen reference collection and associated library; for undertaking research on its specimens and publishing the results; for applying a knowledge of botany to developing industries; and that it be accessible to the community.22 Mueller, an outstanding botanist and prolific collector, named and described more than 2,000 new species (predominantly Australian but also, for example, from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and other islands in the southwest Pacific) and acquired more than half of the National Herbarium’s existing specimen collection. Combining his own collections with the specimens sent to him by collectors from Australia and around the world, the Herbarium grew to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and remains one of the largest.23 He encouraged considerable botanical work within Australia (eventually numbering several thousand individuals), supported inland expeditions and maintained contact with resident collectors in every state.24 He further exchanged material with botanists overseas, enabling Mueller to establish a reference collection of world plants in Melbourne, while simultaneously enhancing overseas study of Australian plants.25 Mueller’s efforts established Melbourne as the centre of botanical activity in Australia,26 while his regular correspondence with William Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew (and later his son Joseph, who succeeded his father as Director), provided Mueller with access to the rapidly growing resources at Kew and to its scientists.27 He made substantial contributions to many fields of science but particularly to botany, playing a crucial role in promoting the study of Australian flora both nationally and on a global stage, and received international recognition for his work.28 Mueller was a prolific letter writer and author (his correspondence could reach 3,000 letters a year), and he published extensively, writing more than 800 papers or major works on Australian botany.29 While Mueller’s directorship of the Botanic Gardens was not without criticism (particularly in the areas of management and his style of garden design), which resulted in his removal from this office in 1873, he retained his post as Government Botanist for a further 23 years until his

20 Ferdinand Mueller, First General Report of the Government Botanist on the Vegetation of the Colony, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1853, p. 7. 21 P.S. Short, ‘Politics and the purchase of private herbaria’, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc, South Yarra, 1990, p. 5. 22 Helen M. Cohn, [History of the National Herbarium of Victoria – Chapter 1], State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, c. 2009—2012, p. 6. 23 Helen M. Cohn, ‘150 years: the National Herbarium of Victoria, 1853-2003’, Muelleria, vol. 17, 2003, p. 4. 24 Sara Maroske, ‘Ferdinand Mueller’s Female Collectors and the History of Australian Botany’, Muelleria, vol. 32, 2014, pp. 72—91. 25 Barker and Barker, ‘Botanical contributions overlooked …’, op. cit., p. 66. 26 Willis, ‘Melbourne: a focal point …’, op. cit., p. 1. 27 R.W. Home, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora and J.H. Voight (eds.), Regardfully Yours: Selected Correspondence of , Volume 1: 1840—1859, Peter Lang, Bern, 1998, p. 24. 28 Sara Maroske, ‘Ferdinand Mueller Anniversary’, Muelleria, vol. 8, no. 3, 1995, pp. 395-8. 29 Deidre Morris, ‘Mueller, Sir Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von (1825—1896)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1974.

10 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT death in 1896. The Herbarium he created was regarded as one of the world’s largest, and one of the most important holdings of Australian plants.30 Mueller himself considered the Herbarium ranked within the top nine in the world, together with Kew, Paris, Leiden, Berlin, Florence, Petersburg, Boston and Geneva.31 Named the National Herbarium of Victoria during Johann Luehmann’s term (succeeding Mueller) as Government Botanist, subsequent appointments to the role included Alfred Ewart (part time, 1906—1921), William Laidlaw (1924—1925), Fredrick Rae (1926—1941), Alexander Jessep (1941—1957), Richard (Dick) Pescott (1957—1970), James Willis (1970—1971), David Churchill (1971—1992) and James Ross (1992—2005). The appointment of Chief Botanist is currently held by David Cantrill (2006—). The primary functions of the Herbarium shifted in the years following Mueller’s death. Research and fieldwork were reduced in scale. An emphasis was placed on providing information and identification services to the public and, in particular, information and identification on weed species for the Department of Agriculture – to which the Herbarium had transferred in 1903.32 With skeleton staffing and a general Government disinterest in the Herbarium’s activities and objectives, accessions of foreign specimens dropped sharply and most Australian accessions were Victorian species donated by the public.33 Staff field collecting during the first half of the twentieth century was often undertaken during vacations or weekends, a situation that changed in the 1950s when field collecting gradually resumed importance and a revived program was put in place.34 In 1956, the Herbarium first issued its botanical journal, Muelleria, in which staff research could be published.35 Over the subsequent decades, and under the direction of Dick Pescott, campaigning for improved resources to rebuild the Herbarium’s research program occurred. He employed specialist staff and encouraged his staff to publish.36 Mueller’s herbarium building remained in use until 1934, when it was demolished and the collection transferred into a new building, with the link between the Herbarium and the Gardens maintained. The new building was constructed with funds provided by philanthropist and confectionary manufacturer Sir Macpherson Robertson (b.1859—d.1945) as a gift to the State, marking the centenary of Melbourne. However, the expanding collection together with additional staff and a requirement for working spaces, necessitated an extension to the building be first broached in 1965, and recorded in annual reports from 1971.37 In 1984 a committee was established to begin planning for a new herbarium building and, the following year, design options were made available for public comment. A semi-circular addition to the existing herbarium was selected as the preferred option, to which the committed $1.8 million of Bicentenary funding. In 1988 building work commenced, with collections and staff moving into the newly completed extension the following year.38

3.2.3 The National Herbarium of Victoria today In 1985, following amalgamation of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey with the Ministry for Conservation and the Forests Commission, the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands was formed. The position of the Herbarium within the Department though came under question, particularly as the Department’s focus was on the management of crown lands and forest resources. This was resolved in 1992 with the appointment of a board of management under the Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991. In the Act, the Herbarium was defined

30 Cohn, [History … – Chapter 1], op. cit., p. 1. 31 Ibid., [Chapter 11], p. 1. 32 Ibid., [Chapter 3], p. 3. 33 Ibid., [Chapter 11], p. 10. 34 Ibid., [Chapter 3], pp. 4—5; [Chapter 10], p. 3. 35 Cohn, ‘150 years’, op. cit., p. 9. 36 Ibid., p. 9. 37 Cohn, [History … – Chapter 3], pp. 13—14. 38 Ibid, [Appendix 1], pp. 12—13.

11 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION as a constituent part of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and the Specimen and Library Collections were designated the State Botanical Collection.39 The Herbarium began using its collections database MELISR that same year (1992): within five years 100,000 records had been entered and by 2003 MELISR contained 500,000 records. By 2006, over 700,000 records had been entered on the database.40 There are currently more than 873,000 records on MELISR. The research activities of the Herbarium continued to expand, as did the number of professional and technical staff, as a result of research grants and funding from other bodies. A conservation focus emerged, and the concern for rare and endangered species of plants developed. Alongside this, a new laboratory was equipped to enable molecular analysis of plant material, while collaborative projects with researchers from external institutions were initiated.41 In 2005, the Herbarium signed an agreement to supply seed of rare Victorian plants for the Millennium Seed Bank initiative of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.42 The Victorian Conservation Seedbank project was established to focus on the collection of seeds from indigenous plant species within Victoria for long-term storage, research and restoration programs, with the voucher specimens in the SBC used to validate the names of the seed collections. The functions of the Herbarium continue to focus, much as Mueller intended them, on the storage and curation of specimens and associated literature, making available the results of the research of its botanists, and providing authoritative advice on plant, algal and fungal names43, although it now does so on a much larger scale and with an emphasis on systematics and conservation. Scientific research remains central to how the SBC is managed and used, and its importance as a working collection that underpins investigation into areas of increasing global concern is immense: in the evolutionary history of plants, conservation of biodiversity and management of the environment, for example, together with documenting climate change. Ongoing databasing, digitisation and imaging projects are rapidly improving the dissemination of the Herbarium’s collection. The Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH) project has enabled specimen data to reach a global audience; of the 873,091 Herbarium records currently searchable (and growing in number) through this portal, 55.3 million records have been downloaded over a twelve-month period. Likewise, imaging the Herbarium’s Type specimens is part of the Global Plants on JSTOR initiative, the world’s largest database of digitised plant specimens, holding more than two million records.44

Herbarium strategic priorities The most recent Master Plan for the Plant Sciences and Biodiversity Division of the RBGV reveals the mission for 2016 to 2025 is to: Produce high quality research of international relevance that not only enhances the SBC but increases our understanding of the natural world, and apply this knowledge in support of evidence-based decision making to improve plant conservation outcomes.45 Three Strategic Priorities will guide the functions of the Herbarium and its staff over the next decade. These centre on: Building taxonomic capacity and scientific research reputation through training the next generation of botanists, strengthening expertise, and increasing productivity and grant success for research staff.

39 Ibid, p. 11. 40 Ibid., pp. 14—17. 41 Cohn, ‘150 years’, op. cit., p. 12. 42 Cohn, [History … – Appendix 1], op. cit., p. 16. 43 Ibid., pp. 7, 9. 44 PSBD Master Plan, op. cit., p. 4. 45 Ibid, p. 5.

12 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Releasing the potential of the SBC through completing the curation and databasing of the foreign collection, expanding the Collection and maintaining curation, developing a digital strategy to increase virtual accessibility, and by replacing the Herbarium building in order to increase accessibility and improve the protection of the Collection. Delivering accessible and useful knowledge to the community through developing existing resources and building new ones so as to enhance the provision of information.

Figure 1.Photograph of the 1934 Herbarium building Figure 2. Photograph of the 1988 extension to the (source: Context 2016). Herbarium (source: Context 2016.)

Figure 3. Photograph of the bust of Ferdinand Mueller, described as one of the ‘Fathers’ of the Garden State Figure 4. Photograph of interpretation panels outside the (source: Context 2016). extension of the National Herbarium of Victoria (source: Context 2016).

13 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 4 COLLECTION DESCRIPTION This section comprises brief descriptions of material found within the two components of the State Botanical Collection that are indicative of the type and breadth of items each contain generally. It breaks the SBC into eight unofficial collection themes determined by the consultants to guide this assessment, with an explanation of what material each theme encompasses and provision of specific examples of that material. Full descriptions and a discussion of the significance of each theme is presented in Section 6. Material described within these unofficial themes does not constitute a complete list of content held by the SBC. Instead it provides a snapshot of its most significant material to be assessed against the Significance 2.0 criteria in Section 8. The eight themes are: Early European exploration of Australia Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions Twentieth-century Australian collectors Nineteenth-century foreign collectors Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Representing Australian flora in art.

4.1 Specimen Collection

Number of collection Approximately 1.5 million items

Item types Australian and foreign-collected plant, algae and fungi specimens

Collection themes Early European exploration of Australia Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions Twentieth-century Australian collectors Nineteenth-century foreign collectors Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment

Geographic focus Worldwide, with a focus on Australia, especially Victoria. Approximately 60% of the collection is Australian and 40% foreign.

4.1.1 Overview The Specimen Collection is renowned for its breadth and depth, spanning centuries and continents, and its association with some of the most celebrated botanists, collectors and expeditions over time. It holds Australia’s largest collection of Australian and foreign-collected Type specimens, estimated to number more than 40,000. Type specimens are particularly important as they are used as standards to define botanical names of plants, algae and fungi (see Section 11 – Glossary for full definitions of terms). The oldest specimen is from the herbarium of James Petiver (b.1665—d.1718), a London apothecary, botanist and entomologist, and was collected in India in the 1690s. Other important foreign-collected specimens include those from David Livingstone’s 1858—1864 Zambezi expedition to discover the source of the Nile, Carl Martius’ material first used to describe the flora of Brazil in Flora Brasiliensis, and the Otto Sonder collection, described by Mueller as ‘the richest of all private collections in the world’. Sonder sourced specimens from leading nineteenth-century botanists and collectors, and the collection contains thousands of

14 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Type specimens in addition to major plant groups from around the world, including Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and India. Furthermore, the Specimen Collection has strong links to the history of global exploration and includes specimens collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Captain James Cook’s voyage to New Holland (Australia) in 1770, and material from Captain Matthew Flinders’ 1801—1805 navigation of the unchartered New Holland coastlines. It contains valuable material related to most of the nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions including the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860, the Gregory expeditions of 1846 and 1848, and Leichhardt’s continental exploration. The Specimen Collection continues to grow through the acquisition of private herbaria and contemporary collecting. These provide a strong basis for continued scientific investigation into areas of increasing concern, including maintaining plant biodiversity, documenting and conserving rare and endangered plants, and climate change studies.

Theme 1: Early European exploration of Australia This theme relates to the specimens and primary source documentation associated with the charting of Australia by European explorers. Specimens range in date from Captain Cook’s 1770 voyage until the early 1800s, while material in the Library and Archive associated with the exploration of Australia and its coastline may be later in date. While this is a relatively small collection of material (in terms of the total size of the SBC), it is highly significant.  Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander (on Captain James Cook’s Endeavour)  Robert Brown (on Captain Matthew Flinders’ circumnavigation of Australia)  Jacques Labillardière (the expedition in search of La Pérouse’s lost ships).

Theme 2: Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions This theme is one of the strongest components of the SBC. It developed through the desire for increased knowledge of the unknown interior of Australia, and Ferdinand Mueller’s influence in promoting and funding expeditions, particularly in the second half of the nineteenth century. The North Australian Exploring Expedition (1855—1856), was the last major British funded exploration expedition within Australia; thereafter the colonial governments commissioned and funded inland exploration. The North Australian Exploring Expedition also led to Mueller being considered the ‘go-to’ local expert on Australian botany. He was quick in turning around assessments of herbarium specimens, had excellent contacts within the colonial establishment, and as a result botanical collecting became a standard part of exploration expeditions.  Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills (Victorian Exploring Expedition)  Hermann Beckler (Victorian Exploring Expedition)  Alfred Howitt (Victorian Contingent Party and 1862 Victorian Exploring Party)  William Wheeler (Victorian Contingent Party)  James McKinlay (South Australian Burke Relief Expedition)  Diedrich Henne ( Relief Expedition)  William Landsborough (Queensland Relief Expedition)  Friedrich Wilhelm (expedition from to Port Essington)  Augustus Charles Gregory (North Australian Exploring Expedition)  Ferdinand Mueller (North Australian Exploring Expedition & several other self-funded expeditions in Victoria)  John McDouall Stuart (led 6 major expeditions from 1860—1862)

15 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION  Ernest Giles (led several expeditions in the 1870s, including 1872 and 1873 expeditions in connection with Mueller)  Charles Winnecke and Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific Expedition)  Richard Helms (Elder Scientific Exploration Expedition).

Theme 3: Twentieth-century Australian collectors This theme is primarily made up of specimens amassed by private (non-government) collectors during the twentieth century, in some cases together with their papers, which were then acquired by the Herbarium. The Neville Walters collection is a slightly different acquisition; Walters worked for the CSIRO and personally acquired specimens from Australia and around the world for the CSIRO collection.  Rex Bertram Filson (expeditions to Antarctica)  William H. Nicholls (private collector and amateur botanist; focused on orchids)  Richard Austin Bastow (private collector and amateur botanist; focused on mosses)  Raleigh Black (private collector and botanist; focused on Tasmania)  Alexander ‘Cliff’ Beauglehole (private collector and orchardist; focused on Victoria)  Ilma Grace Stone (private collector and botanist; focused on mosses, especially in Victoria and Queensland)  Neville Walters (N.E.M. Walters Fungal Collection of wood-rot fungi from CSIRO).

Theme 4: Nineteenth-century foreign collectors This theme consists of non-Australian (foreign) botanists and collectors whose specimens were acquired by Mueller in the nineteenth century or by the Herbarium in the twentieth century. The largest and most significant component is the Sonder collection which was purchased by Mueller in 1883, greatly enhancing the Herbarium’s collection of foreign specimens.  Otto Wilhelm Sonder (German botanist and private collector; acquired specimens from other collectors from Australia and around the world [includes Preiss and Lehmann material])  Johann August Ludwig Preiss (German naturalist; focused on )  Johann Georg Christian Lehmann (German botanist and private collector; collected early material from other important botanists during the eighteenth century)  Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied (German explorer; focused on Brazil)  Franz Wilhelm Sieber (a botanist who collected in Europe, the Middle East, southern Africa and Australia)  William Henry Harvey (Irish botanist; documented and collected marine algae)  John Kirk (botanist on David Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition to discover the source of the Nile)  Joseph Hooker (British botanist, Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England; personally collected during expeditions to Tasmania, Antarctica and Nepal)  Odoardo Beccari (Italian naturalist collected in Australia but especially Indonesia and Papua New Guinea)  Thomas Drummond (Captain John Franklin’s second expedition to the Arctic; collected in North America and Canada)

16 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT  Robert Fortune (Scottish botanist; focused on economic botany e.g. tea plants; collected in China).

Theme 5: Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment This theme is primarily made up of current research projects or projects undertaken over a period of time to examine certain scientific change: for example, tracing evidence of climate change and other environmental impacts on Australian flora, as well as into rare or endangered species in Australia through systematic documentation. These projects may use living collections together with herbarium specimens. Many of the Herbarium’s current projects focus on plants endemic to Victoria.  Conservation genetics, for example the Herbarium project examining Pimelea spinescens (listed as critically endangered under the Federal Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) and listed under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988)  Documenting and conserving rare species, for example the Orchid Conservation Project and the Conserving Native Cress project Ballantinia antipoda  Climate change studies projects, for example those examining Alpine species, Austrodanthonia caespitose, Bowenia spectabilis, Australian Solanum  Changing distribution patterns, for example specimens collected through the Mountain Invasions Research Network when species show range extension or it is a new occurrence.

4.2 Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection

Number of collection 40,000 items: approximately 30,000 printed works, 1,700 journal titles, items more than 1,000 rare books, 870 manuscript items, and over 5,000 botanical artworks

Item types General and rare books, journals, manuscripts, photographs, maps, ephemera and botanical art works

Collection themes Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature (unofficial) History and operation of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Representing Australian flora in art

Geographic focus State, national and international

4.2.1 Overview The Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection is rich in nineteenth-century material including Ferdinand Mueller’s prolific writing and the reference material he considered essential to his botanical study, though its earliest material dates from centuries before to illustrated and coloured sixteenth century German herbals. It is a valuable resource for understanding early botanical knowledge, holding for example Curtis’s Botanical Magazine from 1787 in which a number of Australian plants first appeared, the history and growth of botany in Australia, Australia’s inland expeditions in which Mueller played an essential role, the development and operation of the RBGV since its inception, and the attempts to capture nature through art, among other important subjects. It contains large collections of published and unpublished material, ranging from books, journals, manuscripts, letters, diaries, collecting books, photographs, maps, ephemera and some realia. The personal papers of some of the Herbarium’s highly respected staff, including Ferdinand Mueller and James Willis, and some of its most prolific collectors, such as Cliff Beauglehole, comprise important complementary material to the specimens deposited with the Herbarium. The Library contains unique material not held elsewhere in Australia, or rare material difficult to access in other libraries. Through its extensive journal exchange program,

17 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION for example, the Library receives publications from countries around the world. The Library also actively acquires small publications from regional and rural areas of Australia. The SBC also comprises one of the largest collections of botanical art and illustration in Australia. The Botanical Art collection includes works by some of Australia’s finest botanical artists in a range of styles and techniques including watercolour, gouache, pen and ink, pencil, scraperboard and nature prints. The accuracy of their depiction and botanical detailing, which encapsulates a range of scientific information, makes them important to botanists as an aid in identification, however they are also objects with great aesthetic value. The Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection is an essential adjunct to the research conducted on the Specimen Collection and to the curation of specimens. It is the information resource which underpins current operations for the RBGV, supports research, programs and decision-making across the organisation, and is the principal Victorian resource for the identification of the state’s flora and the history of the state’s botanical research and horticulture.46 Specimens are frequently examined in conjunction with literature held in the Library, and specimen names, for example, are validated through reference to the first publication of that plant. The depth and scope of its holdings, its rare material, its unique papers, and its visual records make it a particularly valuable research tool.

Theme 6: Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature This broad theme covers the extensive primary and secondary published material held in the Library. It is diverse, wide ranging in its subject matter, and dates from the mid-sixteenth century to the current day. A brief indication of the nature of this literature follows, and is intended to illustrate its richness and depth. Books  Joseph Banks, Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage Round the World in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768—71 (3 volumes), published 1900  Joseph Banks and Sydney Parkinson, Banks’ Florilegum, published 1980—1990  Ferdinand Bauer and Robert Brown, Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae, sive icones generum quae in prodromo florae novae hollandiae et insulae van diemen descripsit robertus brown, published 1813  Joseph Dalton Hooker, The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H. M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the years 1839-1843, under the Command of Captain Sir James Ross: Part III - Flora Tasmaniae (2 volumes), published 1855—1859  Jacques Julien Houtou de Labillardière, Nova Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen (2 volumes), published 1804—1807  Ludwig Leichhardt, Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia, published 1847  Ernest Giles, The Journal of a Forgotten Expedition, published 1880  Leonhard Fuchs, De historia stirpium commentarii, published 1542  J. Edwards, Edwards’ Herbal, published 1770  Sydenham Teak Edwards, The Botanical Register: Consisting of Coloured Figures of Exotic Plants, Cultivated in British Gardens; with their History and Mode of Treatment (13 volumes), published 1815—1827  Nathaniel Wallich, Plantae asiaticae rariorum: or, descriptions and figures of a select number of unpublished East Indian plants (3 volumes), published 1830—1832

46 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Library Collection Development Policy, 2015, pp. 2-3.

18 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT  George Christian Oeder, Icones Plantarum Sponte Nascentium in Regnis Daniae et Norvegiae (10 volumes), published 1766—1823  J. Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck, Monographia generum aloes et mesembryanthemi (3 volumes), published 1836—1863. Periodicals  Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1878—1901  Kew Bulletin 1946—  Plant Systematics and Evolution 1974—  Edwards’ Botanical Register 1815—1845  Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society of London 1969—  Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—1849  Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875  Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1875—1916.

Theme 7: Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria This theme centres on the history and operations of the RBGV, the site of the National Herbarium of Victoria. Much of the material in this theme relates to Ferdinand Mueller and includes his reports, correspondence and personal possessions, though it also documents the work of other Herbarium staff. Other material spans the general operations of the RBGV and the Herbarium such as annual reports, maps and plans, photographs, ceremonial spades used to plant during royal visits, and so on.  Correspondence of Mueller to other botanists (Australian and overseas) and to his collectors around Australia  Publications and reports by Mueller  Personal items belonging to Mueller, including awards and certificates  Photographs, plans and maps of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria  Material/personal papers/manuscripts relating to or made by subsequent Directors/Chief Botanists, for example Jim Willis  Reports, etc., about the National Herbarium of Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.

Theme 8: Representing Australian flora in art This theme covers the Botanical Art collection, which is one of the largest in Australia and comprises over 5,000 works of art. Artworks in the Collection are scientifically accurate, with preference for well-known artists, although the work of emerging artists is also acquired. The artists represented are primarily Australian, while most plants depicted are indigenous (although some works illustrate plants from other countries).  Artwork prepared for the publications of Ferdinand Mueller by, for example, Richard Austen, Ludwig Becker, Robert Graff and Frederick Schoenfeld (c. 1860s—1890s)  Euphemia Henderson  Marian Ellis Rowan  Stan Kelly  Malcolm Howie

19 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION  Collin E. Woolcock  Margaret Stones  Elizabeth (Betty) Conabere  Celia Rosser  Enid Mayfield  Anita Barley (nee Podwyszynski)  Mali Moir  Sandra Sanger  Beverley Lewis.

4.2 Collection condition Overall, items in the SBC are in good condition. Wherever possible they are housed, handled and managed according to established international standards by a team of professionals: a Collection Manager, Librarian, and curators, with the assistance of volunteers. These practices will be further aided by a draft Standards for Managing Australasian Herbarium Collections document prepared by Managers of Australasian Herbarium Collections and waiting for endorsement by the Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. However, a number of limitations in the current Herbarium building directly impact the SBC, particularly its co-use by staff, the largely-uncontrolled environmental conditions, and its size - beyond capacity, the building can no longer accommodate new acquisitions according to best practice. Also of particular concern is a series of pest incursions, with an outbreak of cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne) in 2008 and 2009 resulting in severe damage to a number of specimens. The source of the infestation was unclear, but most likely originated in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) ducts, with environmental conditions within the collections area then contributing to the degree of infestation. A further threat to the Library material in particular is a long history of leaks and flooding (described more fully in the following section). Resulting water damage has required some books to be replaced twice, and these have been increasingly difficult to obtain. Beyond these concerns, a number of measures are in place to safeguard the condition of the SBC. An ongoing project of mounting the Herbarium’s foreign collection, which consists of over 400,000 specimens, from non-archival material onto stable, acid-free card (together with all new acquisitions) has been prioritised in order to ensure their long term preservation. Original labels, sometimes with comprehensive collection data, are also transferred and a new barcode identifier added. Curatorial staff and a dedicated team of volunteers (under a Volunteer Co-ordinator) are engaged in this task, with approximately 35 volunteers mounting approximately 15,000 specimens per year. Priority for mounting is given to Type specimens. Methods employed for housing the Specimen Collection further add to these safeguards. Once mounted, specimens are individually enclosed in archival paper folders then grouped in archival manila folders, and systematically ordered by family via the Cronquist system for filing specimens of vascular plants. Bulky un-pressed specimens, carpological collections, are housed in archival-quality cardboard boxes to preserve shape and bryophytes, lichens and fungi are enclosed in tailored packets and housed in archival-quality cardboard boxes. Pressed and curated specimens are housed in closed metal cabinets to assist in reducing fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity, to control light exposure, and to offer some protection in the event of disaster. A collection of wet specimens, submerged in alcohol to preserve shape and colour, are isolated in a dedicated store due to flammability. These specimens are housed in metal, eight-draw storage cabinets and although the room has ventilation, it has no temperature controls. While the standards of housing are generally high, the SBC is now facing

20 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT severe shortages in space, leading to compromises in how new material is stored (discussed in more detail in Section 4.3). Items in the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection range from those in stable condition, to many that have been heavily used or exposed to damp or wet conditions. Accordingly, a proportion now requires conservation treatment. This includes a number of rare books with damaged binding (held together with unbleached cotton archival tape), foxing and water damage. Objects are sent for treatment on an ad hoc basis, primarily motivated by selection for exhibition. Journals and books are stored in powder-coated open shelving units, and archival material is housed in acid-free boxes in lockable metal cabinets. Rare books and artworks are in a secure, light and climate controlled (temperature and relative humidity) internal room on the same floor, in a compactus fitted as part of a 2015 renovation. Loose artworks are housed in archival-quality boxes, interleaved with acid-free tissue, while framed works are stored vertically with some buffering between them. Material is handled with attention given to its age and type, for example rare books are cushioned on bean-bag pillows during examination.

Figure 6. Photograph of item in Library rare book collection held together by cotton binding (Source: Context Figure 5. Photograph of item in Library rare book 2016). collection held together by cotton binding (Source: Context 2016).

4.3 Facility conditions The National Herbarium of Victoria spreads over three levels of the herbarium extension: the Specimen Collection is housed on the ground and first floors, and the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection on the top (second) floor. The building is subject to fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity, with the exception of the rare books room, which is the only area to have an independent air conditioning unit providing stable environmental conditions on a continual basis. Throughout the rest of the building thermostats are distributed at each level, and a hygrometer, placed in a cupboard with the Specimen Collection, measures humidity. The HVAC system currently used for climate control over the building as a whole has reached the end of its useful life. As some parts are no longer made, replacement of parts is likely to prove costly in the event of a breakdown. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) procedures are in place throughout the building, and are recognised as essential to collection protection, with destruction through insect attack one of the greatest threats to the SBC. IPM practices adopted in the Herbarium focus on a non- chemical approach to insect pest management. Specimens and permissible library material are frozen for seven days at -23°C in the Herbarium’s walk-in freezer – a proven method of safe and effective treatment. However, this treatment comes with a heightened risk of long-term degradation of the specimens and it is now used as one part of the complete IPM process. Additional pest monitoring and control methods have therefore been implemented, ranging from sticky ‘blunder’ traps and pheromone lures (specifically for cigarette beetles), to electronic insect ‘zappers’. Any insect activity is fully recorded and used to inform future IPM strategies.

21 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Despite these measures, both cigarette beetles and silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) have been detected in the Specimen Collection. Domestic-grade insect control bombs have been used in the past for eradication of silverfish, although this method is used only when circumstances demand it. Any future application of this control method would be in response to detection of an unacceptable level of silverfish during regular monitoring. The 2008 and 2009 cigarette beetle incursion required all affected specimens to be frozen for seven days at -23°C in the Herbarium’s walk-in freezer. The past program of re-freezing material on an approximately five-year cycle is no longer viable due to recognition of the increased risk of long-term degradation associated with sample freezing, and is not viable within current resource levels. Perhaps the largest threat to the SBC is the inadequate storage space in the Herbarium building, especially as a considerable proportion of the foreign specimens are not mounted, and once mounted occupy greater area. Also, the Collection as a whole continues to expand at a steady rate. It is estimated that complete processing of the foreign collection alone would require an increase in space of 33% to adequately house it. This issue is not new to staff, and indeed the 2008—2014 Master Plan noted that storage would reach capacity by 2014 – a fact that has now been realised. As a result, some specimens on the ground and first floors are currently being housed in boxes on top of metal storage units, directly under sprinklers (the building is fitted with a VESDA system – very early smoke detection apparatus), for lack of space elsewhere. The awareness of best practice collection management by Herbarium staff acknowledges this less-than-ideal situation by ensuring that specimens are enclosed in inert plastic sleeves, which would go some way toward protecting them should the sprinklers be activated.

Figure 7. Photograph of Specimen Collection storage area, showing overflow boxes stacked above cabinets (source: Context 2016).

Figure 8. Photograph of stacked specimens in Specimen Collection storage area (source: Context 2016).

The Library is likewise beyond capacity, with the collection steadily growing. In addition, the Library has been subject to leaks and flooding during particularly severe hail storms (the last incident occurring in 2010), when box gutters become blocked. One bay of books most at risk has a plastic sheet draped permanently over it. Priority salvage material throughout the books and journals is clearly marked with red flags at the end of bays, then on the shelves themselves, in order for them to be quickly located, however in the event of flooding it is unlikely that this material could all be saved due to the necessary focus on removing staff from danger.

22 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Figure 9. Photograph of shelving in Library Collection Figure 8. Photograph of Library Collection storage area, storage area (source: Context 2016). showing plastic covers over shelved books to protect from roof leak water damage (source: Context 2016).

A recent internal assessment of the SBC against the 10 Agents of Deterioration scored 73%. This process identifies the ten most common and preventable threats to heritage collections: physical forces, theft and vandalism, fire, water, pests, pollutants, light, incorrect temperature, incorrect relative humidity, and neglect, and ranks them by determining possibility (sudden and catastrophic or gradual) against specific collections and conditions. The score was influenced by fluctuating relative humidity (between 50—60%) and temperature (that rises up to 25° C but should ideally be stable at 16°—18° C), in addition to the potential for pest attack and water damage.

23 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

4.4 Provenance and modifications This section provides an overview of how the State Botanical Collection originated (its provenance) and how it has been modified over time. The two components of the SBC, comprising the Specimen Collection and the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection, are addressed separately.

4.4.1 Specimen Collection The earliest specimens to enter the Herbarium were collected by Ferdinand Mueller. In his role as Government Botanist, Mueller travelled Victoria extensively collecting specimens of native plants. Under his leadership, the collection quickly grew: he contributed his own Victorian and Australian collections, while encouraging collectors around the country to send their specimens to Melbourne. Mueller also recognised the importance of foreign material to the Herbarium, and exchanged specimens with botanists across the world. Mueller’s own collecting and his Australian and global contacts enabled him to establish a vast reference collection that became one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. While collecting activity by Herbarium staff decreased in the first half of the nineteenth century, a renewed program was instigated in the 1950s. Staff field work was complemented by donations of specimens from field naturalists and the public. Integral to all collections was the recording of specific data including place and date of collection, and a description of the habitat. The Specimen Collection continues to expand with an active national and international donation and exchange program now in place. Contemporary collecting makes up between 6,000 and 8,500 items per year focusing on the flora of Victoria (across a time series). Specimens are obtained through targeted field trips, occasional purchases of significant collections (such as the important nineteenth-century herbarium of H. F. Jaubert (b.1798— d.1874) in 2015) and via donation of private herbaria. Additionally, the public are encouraged to submit well-preserved specimens accompanied by thorough collecting data and field notes. The Herbarium manages a dynamic and ongoing loans and exchange program with registered Australian and international herbaria. More than 20,000 specimens are loaned, borrowed or exchanged each year.

4.4.2 Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection The Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection developed from the personal library of Ferdinand Mueller. Recognising the value of published reference material to his work, Mueller assembled a collection of essential taxonomic texts – many published in the nineteenth century though some dated earlier. Uneven funding at various times since Mueller’s directorship has resulted in an unsystematic acquisitions program, however the Library is nevertheless comprehensive and continues to be an invaluable and expanding resource. It is currently guided by the Library Collection Development Policy (2015), which outlines the management and development of the Library collections. It is managed by the Librarian, who is responsible for the selection of materials, considered alongside the accessibility of material within the Australian Library network, and its relevance to recognised subject areas and the RBGV. Material collected spans a variety of formats including printed matter, electronic media, manuscripts, photographs, original works of art and three-dimensional objects. Library acquisitions may be actively sourced and purchased, donated, or exchanged. The Library receives approximately 100 donations per annum, with all offers assessed against the Library Collection Development Policy for suitability and relevance. The RBGV is a registered organisation for donations through the Commonwealth Government’s Cultural Gifts Program. 120 journal titles are purchased and approximately 140 journal titles are exchanged each year. The Library participates in an exchange program with libraries globally, sending the RBGV’s journal Muelleria to organisations around the world and receiving their scientific journals in return. Approximately 100 books are acquired per annum, however this is variable depending on donations, the costs of publications, the value of the Australian dollar and the available budget.

24 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Original works of botanical art by RBGV staff executed in the course of their work are retained in the Collection, while a contemporary collecting program for botanical art is in place. Approximately five works of art enter the Botanical Art collection each year, although this figure is variable. A number of works are purchased from The Art of Botanical Illustration exhibition held biennially by the Friends of the RBGV. Works of art are selected according to six principles outlined in the Library Collection Development Policy: they must be scientifically correct, two-dimensional, be of high quality and by noted artists47, although there is also interest in collecting artists who are early-career and not already represented in the Collection.

4.5 Collection data Data from the Specimen Collection is recorded (databased) on Specify, a software program that manages specimen data for biological research collections. Specimen records are comprehensive and include information ranging from the collector, date and place, its habitat, its habit (i.e. spreading), the colour of its flowers (lost when specimens are dried), abundance, and the phenology (the timing of flowers and seeding), together with collection management functions such as loan tracking and condition. Data recording follows standards set out by Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG, also known as the Taxonomic Databases Working Group), an international body that defines recording fields and how they are used, and HISCOM (the Herbarium Information Systems Committee). These digital records reduce the need to handle sometimes fragile specimens, while making data more accessible to a wider audience. Over 90 percent of the Australian collection is databased, together with approximately 15 percent of the foreign collection. These records are accessible through Australia’s Virtual Herbarium (AVH), an online resource that provides public access to the rich specimen data held by herbaria around the country. Over 871,000 records from the National Herbarium of Victoria can be found on AVH. Collecting data is also accessible through a number of other portals including: Atlas of Living Australia, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, VicFlora and Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. All known Australian algae and Type specimens are imaged and the imaging of ex-Australian vascular Type specimens is currently in progress. As of mid-October 2016 there are over 22,000 Types accessible on Global Plants on JSTOR, with the current rate of capture around 200 Type specimens per month. The Library holdings are currently catalogued through a shared Integrated Library Management System, hosted by the Victorian Government Library Service. The Library catalogue is accessible to the public via the RBGV website, and information conforms to bibliographic standards informed by the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2), the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) and Library of Congress Subject Headings.48 The bulk of Library material is catalogued, however this may be on collection level rather than for individual items, while a small proportion of material remains uncatalogued and unknown. The Library is moving toward digitisation of the unique components of its Collection, with inroads being made into the art and slide collections. A small number of published titles have been added to the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

47 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Library Collection Development Policy, 2015, p. 14. 48 Ibid., p. 3.

25 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 5 COLLECTION USES This section explores the State Botanical Collection’s current uses for research and interpretation. It examines who uses the SBC, how they use it, and where they see its strengths, value and meaning.

5.1 Access The SBC is accessible physically at the National Herbarium of Victoria (by appointment), or virtually through a number of online portals.

5.1.1 Physical access Researchers make extensive use of the Specimen Collection, with Australian and international visitors to the Herbarium over the March 2009—2016 period numbering in excess of 750. Additionally, a large number of researchers have requested images of specimens, with 275 individual requests made since 2005, comprising in excess of 700 specimens. There is also an increasing demand from researchers to sample specimens, primarily for molecular analysis. Since 2008 there have been 174 such requests, with 3,227 specimens sampled. The Library receives approximately 24 visits from external researchers each year, in addition to visitors who use it in conjunction with the Specimen Collection. In the last 12 months, 55 email enquiries about Library material (excluding Interlibrary Loan requests) have been received from authors, publishers, students, genealogists, botanists, historians, independent scholars and other librarians. Physical access to the Library is constrained due to staffing levels, and therefore it is often requests for material unavailable elsewhere (i.e. unpublished) that are prioritised out of necessity. Material is transcribed, or scanned and emailed, wherever possible. A further 22 requests for interlibrary loans or document supply were received in the last 12 months. The majority of these came from the Knowledge Resource Centre and the Department of Primary Industries.

5.1.2 Digital access In the twenty-first century, digitisation has provided unprecedented and instant access to collections in most parts of the world. This has seen the physical form of books, photographs and other published works reproduced and redistributed to new and contemporary audiences in a way that transcends geographical boundaries. The significance of a collection is not diminished by this; indeed, it is enhanced by its ability to disseminate knowledge and to interpret the past in new and interesting ways. Information on the SBC is available through a number of online portals including:  Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria website  Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria library catalogue  Australia’s Virtual Herbarium  Atlas of Living Australia  Global Plants on JSTOR  VicFlora (Flora of Victoria)  Global Biodiversity Information Facility  Victorian Biodiversity Atlas  Biodiversity Heritage Library. With the digitisation of data and images, use of the SBC has significantly increased for researchers globally. Usage statistics demonstrate that the records, in excess of 873,000 available through Australia’s Virtual Herbarium, are downloaded multiple times over in any 12-

26 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT month period. In 2015, for example, there were 119,815 downloads of 238 million records; representing on average 270 downloads of each specimen record. In addition, anecdotal evidence suggests that increasing numbers of researchers are using Global Plants on JSTOR to access the SBC’s Type specimens. A survey undertaken specifically for this report (outlined below in 5.4) provides further details on how the 200 survey respondents accessed the SBC both in person or online. It is apparent from this data that both options are widely used and valued, and that the ability to access collecting data and the Library catalogue online is especially valuable to the high numbers of international users of the SBC, as well as to users from other states.

5.2 Users Since 2009, collection managers of both the Specimen and Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collections have maintained records of those who utilise the collection and for what purpose. These purposes range from tour groups to information requests that inform distinct research projects. These records indicate that individuals and groups who use the State Botanical Collection include:  Staff and volunteers of the RBGV  Staff and volunteers of other herbaria, both Australian and international  University academics, research fellows, and retirees from a range of Australian and international universities  Tertiary students at all levels of study, including undergraduate coursework students, and research students undertaking honours, masters or PhD projects  Independent scholars  Staff of museums, both Australian and international  State government employees  Historians  Genealogists  Authors  Historical interest groups, such as the John McDouall Stuart Society  Botanical art groups, for example Beckler’s Botanical Bounty Project and the Friends of the RBGV.

5.3 Research areas The SBC provides essential source material for researchers in diverse fields, and although primarily used by staff of the RBGV it is also accessed by visiting scientists, botanists, historians and artists (amongst others). The Herbarium’s research staff study plant, algae and fungi systematics and biodiversity, provide support to the Government in the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems, and deliver plant identification services. These activities focus on native Victorian plants in particular, with specimens and their associated literature essential to providing these services. Staff are encouraged to publish their research and to disseminate knowledge of the SBC through a range of academic journals such as Australian Systematic Botany, together with the RBGV’s journal Muelleria. Projects undertaken by staff of the RBGV are varied in scope and include, for example:  The (naming) of Victoria’s plants, based on the specimens in the SBC

27 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION  Biodiversity research including documenting the plants of Victoria and studying historical patterns of the relationships between species and the areas in which they occur  Studies into biogeography (patterns in the causes of plant distribution) and phylogeography (the genetic and geographic structure of populations and species), such as the phylogeography of Eucalyptus deglupta (one of the few species of eucalypt not native to Australia), the origin of the Australian flora through an examination of the genus Persoonia, and the movement of plants into pre-British Australia focusing on Acacia (s.l.) farnesiana (Mimosa Bush) and Adansonia gregorii (Australian Baobab, or Boab)  Conservation genetics projects with the aim to maintain biological diversity, for example of Pimelea spinescens and its two subspecies spinescens (Spiny Rice-Flower) and pubiflora (Wimmera Rice-Flower), both of which are critically endangered  DNA barcoding using specimens in the SBC as valuable reference samples  Mycology (the study of fungi) projects, with the RBGV a centre for research into the taxonomy, systematics, conservation and ecology of Australian fungi, and drawing on the rich collection of specimens in the SBC  The Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller Project which aims to locate, edit and publish Mueller’s extensive correspondence. The honorary associates forming the project team have located more than 10,000 letters to date, 750 of which have been published in three volumes of Regardfully Yours: Selected Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller (with planning underway for a fourth volume and an online archive). Visiting researchers from a variety of organisations including other herbaria, museums and academic institutions, or independent scholars, authors or genealogists use the collection in a single visit or over a number of days. Their research is diverse in nature and spans the following indicative areas:  Specimens and literature on a plant or particular genus or species (both Australian and foreign) on which their research is focused, for example fungi, mosses, liverworts, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Callistemon, Grevillea chrysophea or Grevillea obtecta  Specimens used to illustrate a research field, such as climate change studies  Specimens and literature associated with a person, event, or location, for example, collections made by Franz Wilhelm Sieber, specimens collected by Hermann Beckler on the Victorian Exploring Expedition, or specimens used by Celia Rosser to illustrate The  Historical research about the Gardens, ceremonial plantings and figures central to the Herbarium or the RBGV such as Ferdinand Mueller and William Guilfoyle  Bibliographic research on people associated with the Herbarium or the RBGV  Research into material from the Archive, such as the diaries or papers of individuals  Genealogical enquiries  Image requests for specimens or photographs.

5.4 Survey

5.4.1 Background A brief public survey was conducted using the online Survey Monkey tool between 2 June and 1 July 2016. The survey asked people about their use of the SBC and how it was important to them for a range of reasons. The purpose of this survey was to better gauge how the SBC is accessed by individuals and communities in terms of its historic, aesthetic and social value, and

28 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT particularly for its scientific and research potential. This provided valuable data on how the collection is accessed in a local, national and international context. The survey was distributed to an email list of individuals who are known to have previously accessed or have current associations with the SBC, and who were then encouraged to forward the survey link among their own networks. This method is known as a ‘snowball sampling’ technique for engaging with wider networks of people with known associations. The survey therefore does not represent a randomised sample, and should not be considered to represent a general public view. The approach chosen instead provides a good indication of the views of people who are known to access and consult the SBC, which fulfils the aims of this assessment. An analysis of the survey results follows, while the full data can be found in Appendix C of this report. This information could well guide the Herbarium’s prioritisation strategy for how it chooses to digitise and provide access to its collection into the future.

5.4.2 Who responded The survey received a total of 200 responses from individuals. Interestingly, more than one third of the respondents were from outside Australia, demonstrating the relevance and accessibility of the SBC on an international scale. Melbourne and Victorian responses were also high and, when combined, also comprised over one third of the total responses. The majority of respondents identified as botanists and many also as scientists, followed by collection managers/curators and historians. This data is consistent with the operational purposes of the SBC, which is to facilitate botanic and wider scientific research, as well as historical research.

5.4.3 Access When asked how they access the SBC, over two thirds of the respondents indicated that they had physically accessed the collection, as opposed to one third via online portals. When asked what components of the collection they had accessed, almost all of these individuals (91%) said the Herbarium specimens, 62% the Library and Archive, while 28% had accessed the Botanical Art collection. This rather high percentage of specimen access (given the large number of respondents from overseas) is probably attributable to the dissemination of collection data online, and/or the Herbarium’s specimen exchange program. This highlights the importance of both physical and digital access to the collection.

5.4.4 Use values A number of questions in the survey asked how individual people use and value the SBC. The first of these asked respondents to specify why the SBC is personally important to them from a prescribed list. The results demonstrated the strongest responses to the value of the collection for scientific research, through its Herbarium specimens as a whole, its Type specimens, as well as its general research role. The information it holds on the history of botany in Australia was a similarly popular answer option. A cross-tabulation of these answers also revealed that 46% of all respondents utilise the Library in association with their research of the Herbarium collection, demonstrating the complementary nature of the SBC’s two components. Another question presented respondents with a series of value statements, from which they were asked to identify to what extent they broadly agreed or disagreed with them. The strongest responses were to statements surrounding the scientific or research potential of the SBC, and included not only its ability to be used for current research projects, but the potential it holds for future research. The remaining questions surrounding use values were open-ended, allowing respondents to articulate in their own words how and why they thought the SBC was important. A wide range of responses were received to the question ‘Which items in the State Botanical Collection are of most interest to you and why?’, although many fit within the following categories: The richness of Type, historical or contemporary specimens, for example:

29 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION ‘The Herbarium holds significant historical collections and types, both for Australia and overseas, without them the proper taxonomic, nomenclature and revisionary work on Australian plants would be impossible.’ ‘The types and historical collections, which are the richest collections anywhere in Australia. They are essential in our research since Mueller named so many species.’ ‘The richest, most significant Herbarium collection in Australia which is essential for any botanical research undertaken on the Australian flora especially for its early collections and richness in type specimens.’ Specimens valuable in researching climate change, for example: ‘The herbarium sheets as they can be used to infer the impact of climate change. This is particularly important in Australia where there is a paucity of phenological records [the scientific study of the relations between climate and periodic biological phenomena, such as plant flowering].’ ‘All the herbarium specimens from around Australia. Given the rate of degradation within our area of native vegetation (due to land clearing, weed invasion and climate change)[,] These records provide a valuable insight into how things changed.’ Particular collections that enhanced individuals’ areas of study. Library and Archive material related for Ferdinand Mueller. The strength of Library reference material, for example: ‘The library’s collection in one of the best in Australia.’ ‘…it [the library] holds such a comprehensive collection of publications not held elsewhere in Australia.’ The connections between the Specimen Collection, Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection. Of the 134 individual responses to ‘If any, what important people, activities, places, events or themes do you associate with the State Botanical Collection?’ nearly half of the respondents (62) named Mueller, for example: ‘Ferdinand von Mueller for his collecting and describing of Australian species and connection and encouragement of collectors and scientists all over Australia. Also his role in the publication of Flora Australiensis.’ Most of the survey respondents (83.14%) had accessed or consulted other herbarium or botanical collections. When asked ‘What sets the State Botanical Collection apart from other collections you have accessed or consulted?’, respondents emphasised the scope of the collection, and its holdings of Victorian, Australian, Pacific region, and international material: ‘The Melbourne Herbarium collection is especially rich, with a wide ranging international collection that makes many comparative studies much easier to conduct within the single collection…’ ‘Compared to other Australian collections, the National Herbarium of Victoria holds a vast number of historical specimens& types from Australia and also overseas.’ ‘Along with Sydney, Melbourne’s collections are the oldest, most comprehensive and important botanical collections in Australia if not the Southern hemisphere. Its collections contribute to the research & understanding of Victoria & Australia’s scientific, historical & cultural contributions.’ ‘It has the most representative global botanical collection of any institution in Australia, thanks to the purchase of the Sonder Collection… It has the best collection of Victorian species. It contains many type specimens.’ ‘It is especially rich in collections relating to pioneering research and documentation of the Australian flora from 1850 onwards, reflecting the key role played by Ferdinand Mueller, his vast array of connections across Australia and overseas (especially the centres of botanical taxonomic research) and his prolific output.’

30 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Other respondents pointed out the uniqueness of the SBC: ‘It holds specimens and archives not represented in any other Australian herbarium, and literature not available elsewhere in Australia.’ ‘It is unique in both its historical and contemporary collections, and it is backed by an excellent library and art collections.’ ‘It is a significant part of the whole of botanical collections throughout the world. Most of the specimens it holds are unique and contribute to the overall pageant of knowledge.’ When participants were asked ‘Is there anything else you would like to add?’ as a final question, many emphasised what they see as the immense value of the Specimen and Library collections. Respondents highlighted the essential need for ongoing funding to maintain, if not improve, access, and to ensure preservation activities to safeguard the survival of the SBC for future generations: ‘The Herbarium (MEL) at the State Botanical Collection is a major and internationally important collection of preserved plants, containing not only the plants themselves, but an amazing treasure of information about where these plants grow (localities, habitats, etc.), about their phenology (e.g., when they flower and fruit), and other information about their ecology and natural history. In the face of global climate change and development (=habitat destruction), these historical collections take on even greater significance.’

5.5 Interpretation A number of pre-organised talks and tours of the Herbarium are accommodated, although they are limited by staff availability and space constraints. Led by Herbarium staff, they span a variety of interest groups. Since October 2009, 70 tours have been given for groups including: students of The (botany and history) and the University of the Third Age; delegates of conferences or symposiums including the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation, the International Conference of Systems Biology, and the Australasian Plant Pathology Science Biosecurity Symposium; and tours for National Science Week, for volunteer guides, Friends of the RBGV and Cranbourne Gardens. Interpretation for the general public visiting the RBGV is in the form of objects and panel text set in an external wall of the Herbarium building. Themes explored in this display include: Life as we know it would not exist without plants and fungi: the importance of plants and the work undertaken by RBGV scientists Essential underground housemates: fungi and its important role in enabling some plants to access nutrients and water from the soil, for example orchids What’s in a name: how plants are named Pressed, pickled and preserved: how specimens are prepared and why they are important Botanists without borders: the importance of the Victorian Conservation Seedbank to rare and threatened species, and the example of Nematolepis wilsonii (Shining Nematolepis) Conservation through understanding natural communities: the value of specimens in tracing species distribution and conservation Unwelcome strangers: weeds and the case of Nassella tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass).

31 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Figure 10. Photograph of object display outside of Figure 11. Photograph of interpretation display outside of Herbarium building (Source: Context 2016). Herbarium building (Source: Context 2016).

Anecdotal evidence suggests visitors find these displays engaging and would like to see greater access to the SBC through increased on-site interpretation. SBC items have been used in a range of exhibitions, including those developed by the National Herbarium of Victoria together with single or multiple items loaned to other museums and galleries for inclusion in their exhibitions:  Hidden in Plain View: The Forgotten Flora, an exhibition of specimens of bryophytes, fungi and lichens, botanical illustrations, historical and contemporary writing, and artefacts developed by National Herbarium of Victoria. The exhibition toured regional Victoria, then nationally, with support from Visions Australia: Horsham Regional Art Gallery (9 January—4 March 2007) McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park and Cranbourne Gardens (7 April— 11 June 2007) Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery (20 August—7 October 2007) Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale (13 October—11 November 2007) Domain House, Melbourne Gardens (21 November—19 December 2007) National Museum of Australia, (13 March—9 June 2008) Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston (19 July—19 October 2008) Gordon Gallery, (25 February—8 April 2009) Museum of Economic Botany, Adelaide Botanic Gardens (19 September— 6 December 2009)  Specimens loaned to other institutions for display include: Crossing Country: John McDouall Stuart, Museum of South Australia (January— October 2013) Individual specimens of Hermann Beckler, J. E. (Tenison) Woods, William Landsborough for display at the National Museum of Australia (2009—2017)  Works from the Botanical Art collection loaned for display include: Beauty in Truth: The Botanical Art of Margaret Stones, National Gallery of Victoria (17 October—16 December 1996) Nature prints by Frederick Pitcher, San Diego (2001) Capturing Flora, Art Gallery of Ballarat (September—December 2012): including the works of Betty Conabere, Stan Kelly, Ellis Rowan and Frederick Schoenfeld

32 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Botanic Asia, Domain House (November 2009): works by Margaret Stones and Celia Rosser Jenny Phillips: The Hidden Meaning of Plants, Mornington Regional Gallery (12 November 2010—6 February 2011) The Eternal Order in Nature: The Science of Botanical Illustration, Domain House (18 July—7 August 2011) A Botanical Journey an exhibition of works by Fiona McKinnon, Whitehorse Artspace (17 October—7 November 2015)  Artworks are also regularly loaned for exhibitions developed by the Friends of the RBGV, including the biennial The Art of Botanical Illustration.

33 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 6 COLLECTION THEMES This section presents eight unofficial themes represented within the SBC that illustrate the diversity of items across the key areas identified in Sections 4.1 and 4.2. It explores how the Specimen and Library Collections interact with and complement each other, as well as providing a discussion on the key areas of significance within each theme, which together form the statement of significance in Section 8. The collection themes explored in this section are aligned with the Australian Historic Themes Framework, demonstrating the collection’s ability to represent historical narratives at a national level. The following Australian Framework themes and sub-themes have been identified as relevant to the SBC and are applied to each collection theme within this Section.

Table 2. Themes and sub-themes from the Australian Historic Themes Framework

Theme Sub-theme

1. Tracing the evolution of the 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change Australian environment 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 2. Peopling Australia 2.5 Promoting settlement 3. Developing local, regional and 3.1 Exploring the coastline national economies 3.3 Surveying the continent 3.11 Altering the environment 7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s heritage 8. Developing Australia’s cultural 8.10.2 Creating visual arts life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology

6.1 Early European exploration of Australia Themes and sub-themes from the Australian Historic Themes Framework: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 2. Peopling Australia 2.5 Promoting settlement 3. Developing local, regional and national economies 3.1 Exploring the coastline 3.3 Surveying the continent 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology English botanist Joseph Banks (b.1743—d.1820) and Swedish-born botanist Daniel Solander (b.1733—d.1782) were part of a small scientific team aboard the HMS Endeavour during its voyage of discovery to Australia, charted by English Lieutenant James Cook in 1770.

34 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Their purpose was to gather, preserve and study plants, animals and artefacts of this ‘strange and unknown continent’ to bring back to Europe.49 The pair, who upon their return to England were described by their contemporaries as ‘laden with the greatest treasure of Natural History that was ever brought into one country at any one time by two persons’, discovered in Australia 110 genera and 1,300 species new not only to Europe, but to the scientific discipline.50 Of the thousands of specimens jointly collected by Banks and Solander during the Endeavour voyage, the National Herbarium of Victoria holds 357. These are duplicates donated by the British Museum (now the Natural History Museum) as part of the Bicentenary in 1988,51 with other material acquired as part of the exchange program during Mueller’s time. The Herbarium’s Banks and Solander material comprises mostly duplicates and some Type specimens; the Types remain in the United Kingdom at the Natural History Museum, London, as does the bulk of material collected during the Endeavour voyage. The Herbarium collection is accessible to Australian and international researchers in both physical and digital form, thus making it an important working resource in an Australian and global context. This material is complemented by rare illustrated publications documenting the Endeavour expedition. These include a copy of Illustrations of the botany of Captain Cook's voyage round the world in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768-71 and a full colour version of the same work, known as Banks' florilegium. The Banks and Solander specimens are of great importance to the history of botany for being among the first examples of Australian floral species ever to be collected and classified, and in that capacity they hold substantial research potential and scientific interest. Their historic significance is further enhanced by their provenance, and their association with two of the most influential botanists of their time. So great was their contribution that Banks’ name was commemorated in the notable Australian plant genus, Banksia52, while their exploration of the coastline was instrumental in establishing a foundation for the British settlement of Australia.

Figure 12. Complete set of Banks' florilegium held in the Library’s rare book collection (RB EFOL 1/01- 15).

It was at the urging of Joseph Banks that another major early expedition to Australia was launched in 1801, this time to map the Australian coastline. Under the command of Captain Matthew Flinders (b.1774—d.1814), the HMS Investigator was the first ship to circumnavigate the island continent of Australia. Scottish-born botanist Robert Brown (b.1773—d.1858) and

49 ‘Collecting bottle used by Banks and Solander’, Illustrated Sydney News, 18 February 1871, p. 12. 50 John Ellis, letter to Linnaeus dated 16 July 1771, in A Selection of the Correspondence of Linnaeus, and Other Naturalists: From the Original Manuscripts, James Edward Smith (ed.), 1821, vol. 1, p. 263. 51 Willis, ‘Melbourne: a focal point …’, op. cit., p. 2; Cohn, [History … Chapter 11], op. cit., p. 2. 52 L.A. Gilbert, 'Banks, Sir Joseph (1743–1820)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 1966.

35 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION botanical artist Ferdinand Bauer (b.1760—d.1826) were aboard the Investigator, and throughout its voyage (1801—1803) Brown collected thousands more plant specimens which Bauer illustrated. These collections added to the foundation set by Banks and Solander, with some entirely unknown to science.53 Of these, the SBC holds approximately 2,488 specimens collected by Brown from most present-day states and territories in Australia. This material includes many Type specimens, which were duplicates distributed by the British Museum, that institution having acquired Brown’s personal collection in 1876.54 The Library holds three copies of Brown’s findings on the flora of Australia, which were published in a book known in short as Prodromus in 1810; as well as one of only fifty copies of Bauer’s separate volume of illustrations meant for Prodromus, published in 1813, known in short as Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae. No Australian herbaria currently holds a complete set of the specimens collected by Brown, making this supplementary material all the more important for research purposes. Bauer’s illustrations provide accurate documentation of Brown’s specimens, including colouration that the specimens lack, and as such are invaluable for their research potential into a collection that is not widely accessible.

Figure 13. Syntype specimen of Pimelea octophylla Figure 14.Copy of Brown’s 1810 publication collected by Robert Brown in 1802, a specimen within the Prodromus, detailing his findings on the flora of collection originating from Victoria (MEL501186). Australia (RB 581.994).

This material is historically significant for its association with Robert Brown. Prodromus is known in the botanical discipline as a work of very high quality, as well as one that supported the ‘natural system’ of botanical classification of French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, as opposed to the more rigid Linnaean practice. Though Linnaean taxonomy laid the foundation for biological nomenclature, Brown’s support of the Jussieu system – defined by a preliminary distinction of the mode of germination, whereas the Linnaeus system was applied indiscriminately – is said to have ‘helped to revitalise the botanical science of his day’.55 Brown’s work on Australian plants and particularly the Proteaceae family is significant as an early example of European documentation of Australian botanical species; indeed 11 of the 13 Australian botanical families he instituted remain current today. These were published in 1814 in his paper titled ‘General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the Botany of Terra

53 N.T. Burbidge, 'Brown, Robert (1773–1858)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, 1966. 54 Willis, ‘Melbourne: a focal point …’, op. cit., p. 2. 55 Burbidge, 'Brown, Robert (1773–1858)', op. cit.

36 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Australis’, which was contributed as an appendix to Matthew Flinders' A Voyage to Terra Australis, 1-2. The Library holds a 1966 facsimile edition of these volumes, and the accompanying atlas. Though not part of the original publication run, these sources contribute to understandings of Brown’s specimens, and hold research potential into his work as ‘the originator of the science of plant geography’56, a subject that he treated analytically in A Voyage to Terra Australis. Much like Britain, France was one of many countries launching voyages of scientific exploration during the eighteenth century. One such expedition, comprising the ships Astrolabe and Boussole led by Jean François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (b.1741—d.1788?), was launched in 1785 by command of King Louis XVI. The purpose of the voyage was to explore both the north and south Pacific, including the coasts of the Far East and of Australia, and send back reports through existing European outposts in the Pacific. However, both ships later vanished off the coast of Australia in 1788. This ill-fated journey catalysed the launch of another expedition to Oceania in search of La Pérouse’s ships in 1791, led by French naval captain Bruni d’Entrecasteaux (b.1737—d.1793). Appointed as naturalist to this expedition was Jacques Labillardière (b.1755—d.1834), whose 152 specimens collected during the journey now form part of the SBC, 71 of which are Type specimens. Labillardière material within the Collection was taken primarily from Tasmania and Western Australia, but also Indonesia, New Caledonia and . Amongst Labillardière’s landings was Tasmania, where he collected specimens including the Type for Epacris impressa, the floral emblem for the state of Victoria.

Figure 15. Syntype of Epacris impressa, the floral Figure 16. Labillardière’s Voyage in Search of La emblem for the State of Victoria, collected by Jacques Perouse in the Library’s rare book collection, published Labillardière from around Recherche Bay, Tasmania, in in 1800 in two volumes (RB 508 LAB V1). 1794 (MEL2101227).

While their attempt to recover La Pérouse’s lost ships failed, the expedition succeeded in collecting some of the earliest zoological, botanical and geological specimens from Australia and the Pacific, as well as providing some of the earliest descriptions of the customs and languages of Aboriginal Australians.57 These important collections nearly did not survive; the French Revolutionary Wars had broken out in Europe whilst the expedition sailed the Pacific, and Labillardière’s scientific collections were seized by the British as spoils of war when the

56 Ibid. 57 ‘La Billardière, Jacques-Julien Houtou de (1755–1834)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published in 1967.

37 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION ships landed at Java. Labillardière’s colleague Joseph Banks successfully petitioned the British Museum for their repatriation, and Labillardière finally returned to France with his specimens in 1796.58 Labillardière is well-known for his descriptions of Australian flora originating from this journey, which were later set out in his Voyage in Search of La Perouse: Performed by Order of the Constituent Assembly During the Years 1791, 1792, 1793 and 1794, published in 1800, and Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen, published in 1804; both of which are held in the Library. He was described by his contemporary Pierre Flourens (b.1794—d.1867), physiologist and member of the French Academy, as ‘one of the first naturalists who made known the peculiar vegetation of the southern countries, which by their dissection and their classification, have added so much to botany’.59 Both of Labillardière’s titles are held in the Library’s rare book collection and are considered important reference material as early records of Australian flora, though they are also found in other Australian national collections. Their provenance within the SBC is strengthened by the 152 specimens collected by Labillardière also retained by the Herbarium, which together inform a significant aspect of early European understandings of Australia’s natural environment.

6.2 Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions Themes and sub-themes from the Australian Historic Themes Framework: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 2. Peopling Australia 2.5 Promoting settlement 3. Developing local, regional and national economies 3.1 Exploring the coastline 3.3 Surveying the continent 3.11 Altering the environment 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology The State Botanical Collection is extremely rich in Australian material collected during the nineteenth century, due in large part to the influence of Ferdinand Mueller.60 Specimens from Mueller’s own expeditions in Victoria – and other parts of the country – form an important part of the SBC. His earliest Australian collections originate from South Australia where he collected his first algal specimens on the day his ship docked in 1847. Within days of his appointment as Government Botanist in 1853 he set out on the first of three major expeditions around the state, believing that botanists should see Australian plants in their living form in order to accurately set boundaries between species.61 Mueller’s field surveys took him to inland, alpine and coastal areas, including Mount Buffalo and the Ovens River, Mount Buller, Port Albert and Wilson’s Promontory, where he speculated that he had collected

58 Ibid. 59 Ibid. 60 Morris, ‘Mueller…’, op. cit. 61 Regardfully Yours, op. cit. Volume 1, pp. 26—7.

38 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT specimens of over half the indigenous vegetation of Victoria.62 At this time, Mueller also made contact with botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – notably William Hooker (b.1785—d.1865) – beginning an enduring relationship of exchange between the institutions that would enhance both collections and botanical knowledge over subsequent decades.63 Material collected by Mueller is significant for its many Types and specimens originating from areas that have subsequently been transformed by European settlement, and areas that have not been surveyed since – for example, in the – making them an invaluable scientific and historical resource today. Through his meticulous collecting, Mueller discovered species earlier claimed to be found only in Tasmania, and added new genera to the flora of Australia. His collections of Australian material span the 1840s to 1890s and all of Australia’s contemporary states and territories, numbering more than 21,500 in total. Mueller’s specimen collections are strengthened by comprehensive material held by the Library and Archive, ranging from his book and journal publications, to his extensive correspondence retained from his position as Government Botanist over 43 years (detailed under Section 6.7). The SBC holds the largest and most complete assemblage of Mueller-related material (specimens and written sources) in Australia, providing unparalleled documentation of his activities as Victoria’s Government Botanist.

Figure 17. Type specimen for Grevillea victoriae collected by Mueller soon after he was appointed as the first government botanist for Victoria; sent to Sonder then acquired by MEL as part of the Sonder purchase (MEL75101).

Mueller also provided for botanists to accompany official government expeditions, a situation he thought preferable to relying on government officers and explorers themselves to forward specimens to him. These collectors include: John McDouall Stuart, John and Alexander Forrest, Francis and Augustus Gregory, John Landsborough, Eugene Fitzalan, Charles Winnecke, Ernest Giles, Jesse Young, Joseph Bradshaw, David Lindsay, Richard Helms, Ralph Tate, David Herrgott, Peter Warburton, William Tietkens, Pemberton Walcott and Frederick Waterhouse.64 Notable collections that are well-represented in both parts of the SBC are those made by Stuart, Giles, Winnecke, Lindsay and Helms. As Mueller became the authoritative voice on Australian indigenous plants, plant collections made on official exploring expeditions

62 Morris, ‘Mueller…’, op. cit. 63 ‘Domestic Intelligence’, Argus, 31 October 1853, p. 5. 64 64 Cohn, [History … - Chapter 3], op. cit., p. 17.

39 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION in other Australian colonies were also sent to him for identification, in addition to the specimens gathered on private expeditions. In this context the collections of John McDouall Stuart, Eugene Fitzgerald, John and Alexander Forrest, Ernest Giles, the Victorian Exploring Expedition and the Elder Expedition, among others, all came to the Herbarium.65 Scottish-born John McDouall Stuart (b.1815—d.1866) led six major Australian inland expeditions, from which the Herbarium holds 201 specimens collected from central and northern parts of the country. Stuart’s final expedition in 1861—62 was the first successful return expedition to cross the Australian mainland from south to north through the centre of the continent.66 It was this route that would later be used for the Overland Line connecting Darwin with Port Augusta, South Australia, allowing faster communication between the Australian colonies and the rest of the world. The Herbarium’s Stuart specimens hold research potential as early examples of Australian flora in the arid zone, and are historically significant in their provenance through their link to one of Australia’s most accomplished explorers. Adding depth to the specimens is material in the Library that includes rare publications of Stuart’s journals, published in 1863 and c.1860. Mueller also detailed Stuart’s findings in ‘Enumeration of the plants collected during Mr. J. Macd. Stuart's expeditions across the Australian continent in 1860, 1861 and 1862’, in his Annual Reports, and Notes on the Plants Collected during Mr. John Macdouall Stuart's Recent Expedition into the north-west interior of South Australia, published c. 1860. Ernest Giles (b.1835—d.1897) led a number of expeditions to central Australia, including west of the new Overland Telegraph Line, and was also sponsored by Ferdinand Mueller. A total of 1,084 specimens acquired by Giles for Mueller are held in the SBC; several of which were new, and described in detail in Mueller’s ninth and tenth volumes of Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae (1852—1882), a notable systematic botany publication where Mueller named many of his approximately 2,000 descriptions of new taxa of Australian flora.67 The Library also comprises publications by Giles documenting his journeys, two of which are inscribed to Mueller by Giles: Australia Twice Traversed: The Romance of Exploration, Being a Narrative Compiled from the Journals of Five Exploring Expeditions into and through Central South Australia and Western Australia from 1872 to 1876, published in 1889 and The Journal of a Forgotten Expedition, published in 1880. Other material authored by Giles in the rare book collection are his Geographic Travels in Central Australia from 1872 to 1874, published in 1875, and Parliamentary Papers: Mr. Ernest Giles's Explorations, 1872: Diary of Explorations of Mr. Ernest in Central Australia August to November 1872, published in 1873. The Horn Scientific Expedition (1894) was the first primarily scientific expedition to study the natural history of Central Australia – namely the Finke River region – led by meteorologist Charles Winnecke (b.1856—d.1902). The Expedition was a joint project between Australia’s three existing universities of the time, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, and was financed by its namesake William Austin Horn (b.1841—d.1922), a wealthy pastoralist and mining magnate. The party was made up of five scientists from various disciplines, including geologist and botanist from the University of Adelaide, Professor Ralph Tate (b.1840—d.1901). Tate had published extensively on Australian botany, culminating in his Handbook of the Flora of Extratropical South Australia (1890), which became the foundation of that colony’s botanical knowledge.68 More than 452 specimens collected by Tate are held by the SBC, including 43 from this Expedition. Though the Horn expedition was a relatively short one, its findings were widely acclaimed and greatly increased knowledge about Central Australia in several fields of

65 Cohn, ‘150 years…’, op. cit., p. 4. 66 D. Morris, ‘Stuart, John McDouall (1815–1866)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1976. 67 Barker and Barker, ‘Botanical contributions overlooked…’, op. cit., p. 72. 68 A.R. Alderman, ‘Tate, Ralph (1840–1901)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1976.

40 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT study.69 Related material in the Library includes a rare copy of Winnecke’s journal from the expedition published in 1896, Tate’s Botany of the Horn expedition. 1, The larapintine flora. 2, The central eremian flora, published in 1896, and letters between Tate and Mueller (1884—1895) that are entirely unique to the collection. The Elder Scientific Exploration Expedition (1891—1892) has been defined as ‘Possibly the most ambitious Australian expedition of all time’, having encompassed a 6,886 km journey over 12 months that mapped more than 200,000 km² of land previously unknown to Europeans.70 Led by David Lindsay (b.1856—d.1922) and financed by successful pastoralist and businessman Sir (b.1818—d.1897), the Expedition comprised a team of 14 men including three scientists, who set out to study the little-known Australian deserts. Richard Helms (b.1842—d.1914) was appointed naturalist to the Expedition and made important collections of flora, including 19 new plant species.71 Other collectors from the Expedition were P.A. Gwynne, from whom the SBC holds 20 items, 4 by D. Cumming, 3 by D. Lindsay and 6 by R. Ramsay. Although the Expedition was abandoned due to the inhospitable environment, it was valuable as the first scientific exploration of the flora and fauna of the Australian deserts, documenting many insect and animal species now extinct. The Herbarium holds a total of 1,426 of Helms’ collections – dating to between 1871 and 1913 gifted to Mueller – of which 1,246 were collected during the Elder Expedition; while the Library has a rare copy of the Journal of the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1891-2, published in 1893 by Elder. Mueller also accompanied expeditions himself, including Augustus Charles Gregory (b.1819—d.1905) on Gregory’s North Australian Exploring Expedition (1855—1857), which travelled south and west from the mouth of the Victoria River, Northern Territory. Mueller was the first botanist to explore this area, collecting nearly 2,000 different species, hundreds of which were yet to be described. The SBC holds 2,566 specimens from the North Australian Exploring Expedition, 27 of which were collected by Gregory himself, the most comprehensive relating to this journey held by any collecting institution in Australia. The expedition itself was highly significant not just for its contribution to early understandings of Australian flora, but also to the in discovering the extent of natural resources in the north of the country, and therefore its suitability for settlement. The Library and Archive furthermore holds material complementary to the specimens, including copies of 12 letters from Mueller to Gregory dating between 1855—1857, seven publications of Gregory’s journal entries documenting the expedition, published in 1856 and 1858, Mueller’s Enumeration of Plants Collected by A.C. Gregory, Esq., Along and Near Cooper's River and its Tributaries in Sub-Central Australia, published 1859, and his Botanical report on the North-Australian expedition under the command of A.C. Gregory, published in 1858. The Victorian Exploring Expedition (1860—1861) is perhaps the most well-known journey of exploration of the Australian continent, in association with its leaders Robert O’Hara Burke (b.1821—d.1861) and William John Wills (b.1834—d.1861). It is now commonly known as the ‘Burke and Wills’ expedition. Objectives of the expedition were unclear in its infancy, and appear primarily to have been motivated by a desire to achieve the first south- north crossing of the continent. The Expedition was a statement on a world stage of the burgeoning colony’s newly discovered wealth following Victoria’s gold rush from 1851, and came at a high price not just in financial terms but in lives lost.72

69 Sir B. Spencer & W.A. Horn, Report on the work of the Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia, Mullen & Slade, Melbourne, 1896. 70 Royal Geographical Society of South Australia, ‘Exploration’, no date. 71 Ibid. 72 K. Fitzpatrick, ‘Burke, Robert O'Hara (1821–1861)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published in 1969.

41 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Figure 18. & Figure 19. Type specimens for Adansonia gregorii, collected by Mueller from Victoria River, NT, and described by Mueller in 1857, who named it after Augustus Charles Gregory (MEL229657 & MEL229658).

Accompanying Burke and Wills as the Expedition’s medical officer and botanist was German- born Hermann Beckler (b.1828—d.1914), who collected extensively in western New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, with 2,068 specimens collected by Beckler prior to joining the Expedition. Beckler was previously employed by Mueller to collect for the Melbourne Botanic Gardens between 1859 and 1860 around the Macleay, Hastings, Richmond and Clarence Rivers of New South Wales, and so it is no surprise that his later collections too were lodged at the Herbarium.73 The SBC holds 908 of the specimens collected by Beckler during the Victorian Exploring Expedition, in addition to 59 specimens acquired when he accompanied the north-western leg of Georg Neumayer’s (b.1826—d.1901) Magnetic Survey of the Colony of Victoria (1858—1864) in 1861.74 Erratic leadership led to Beckler’s resignation from the Victorian Exploring Expedition when it reached Menindee, a decision that likely saved his life and ensured the safe delivery of his specimens to Melbourne. The SBC is considered the most comprehensive assemblage in Australia of Beckler’s collections from these expeditions, each highly significant in their scientific research potential, as well as for their provenance, having been collected during the course of exploring and surveying previously uncharted parts of Australia; in part assessing its suitability for settlement.75 Important specimens collected on the Expedition include Acanthocladium dockeri and Acacia beckleri. Acanthocladium dockeri was one of the new species that Mueller described from Beckler’s collection, although the species was not recorded again for 50 years. Subsequent surveys failed to find it, and by 1992 it was believed to be extinct; however a new population was discovered in South Australia in 1999. Beckler’s 1860 specimens were crucial in verifying the identity of these new collections, and the species remains critically endangered. Acacia beckleri is another of many new species described from material collected by Beckler on the Expedition. In this case, the species wasn’t described until 1965, more than 100 years after Beckler collected the specimen. It is named in honour of him. Seven members of the Victorian Exploring Expedition later died from starvation and malnutrition, including Burke and Wills themselves, and a Parliamentary Inquiry was held into their deaths. Though the Expedition’s achievements in terms of exploration were limited, solid

73 Cohn, [History … - Chapter 3], op. cit., p. 7. 74 Australian National Herbarium, ‘Beckler, Hermann (1828—1914)’, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Australian National Herbarium Biographical Notes, 2013. 75 Ibid.

42 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT gains in geographical knowledge were made by the explorers who led parties in search – and recovery – of its survivors. The first of these was the Victorian Contingent Party (1861) led by Alfred Howitt (b.1830—d.1908), which departed Melbourne for Menindee in June of 1861 and arrived at Cooper’s Creek in September to find the sole survivor, John King, living with a group of Aborigines.76 After returning to Melbourne in 1862, Howitt was tasked with a second journey to locate Burke and Wills’ remains for interment, which he successfully completed. Together with 40 collections made by Howitt himself, the Herbarium holds over 121 specimens collected by William Wheeler, the surgeon on Howitt’s first expedition, from between Stokes Range and Cooper’s Creek, as well as 40 collected by James Murray, surgeon on Howitt’s second party, from around Cooper’s Creek and Wills Creek.

Figure 20. Type specimen for Acacia beckleri, one of Figure 21. Type specimen for Glinus orygioides, one of many new species described from material collected by the new species Mueller described from Beckler’s Victoria Beckler on the Victoria Exploring Expedition. In this Exploring Expedition collections. It is now presumed case, the species wasn’t described until 1965, more than extinct in NSW. There are only six NSW records of this 100 years after Beckler collected the specimen. It is named species in Australian herbaria, four of which are Beckler in honour of Beckler (MEL616147). specimens held at MEL (MEL723995).

Parties in search of Burke and Wills had also been sent from further afield; the South Australian Burke Relief Expedition (1861—1862) departed Adelaide on 16 August 1861 from the north coast of Arnhem Land, and the Queensland Relief Expedition (1861—1862) sailed from on 24 August. For the colony of South Australia, the South Australian Burke Relief Expedition led by James McKinlay (b.1819—d.1872) was a timely opportunity to explore the country, and to compete with Victoria in the race for finding a suitable route for an overland telegraph line.77 McKinlay collected 8 specimens during this journey that are now held by the SBC, 4 of which are attributed to William Bell, who was in charge of the Expedition’s horses. In addition, the Library holds McKinlay’s Journal of Exploration in the Interior of Australia (Burke Relief Expedition), with three maps, published in 1863. The SBC also holds 102 specimens collected by McKinlay from Arnhem Land, and an 1865 expedition to the Northern Territory. The Herbarium holds more than 439 specimens collected by German-born Diedrich Henne (b.1834—d.1913), botanist on William Landsborough’s (b.1825—d.1886) Queensland Relief Expedition; together with around 55 collections made by Landsborough himself. This

76 Ibid. 77 South Australia Memory, ‘Taking it to the Edge: Exploration in South Australia’, State Library of South Australia, 2007.

43 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Expedition is historically significant as the first successful crossing of the continent, having extended from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Melbourne. Specimens collected during this expedition are complemented by the Library’s Journal of Landsborough’s Expedition from Carpentaria, in search of Burke & Wills, published in 1862, where Landsborough publicly revealed the locations of the best country he had traversed, leading him to be accused of being commissioned by graziers to find good land.78 The SBC holds some 2,506 specimens collected by Prussian-born Frederick Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (b.1813—d.1848) on his numerous expeditions of inland Australia. The first of these was undertaken solo from Newcastle, NSW, to the Moreton Bay District in Queensland during 1843 and early-1844. From this journey at least 300 specimens collected by Leichhardt are held by the SBC. The expedition is notable as one of the earliest Australian inland expeditions conducted by a non-government appointed surveyor, to whom such a role was customarily entrusted. An important part of Leichhardt’s success as an explorer was the knowledge he gained through spending long periods with Aboriginal guides exploring the Australian outback prior to and during his expeditions.79

Figure 22. Type specimen for Parinari nonda collected by Figure 23. Type specimen for ovata var. Leichhardt on the Port Essington overland expedition, one cordata collected in NSW by Leichhardt, originating from of a small number of specimens collected that survived; most a now urbanised part of Sydney where the species no longer of the collection from this expedition was lost or destroyed occurs naturally (MEL24545). (MEL240488).

Leichhardt went on to lead his first major overland expedition – comprising 10 members including himself – from Moreton Bay, Queensland, to Port Essington, Northern Territory, which departed in October 1844 and arrived at Port Essington in December 1845. The expedition, though not without its casualties, was highly successful and covered almost 4,828km of terrain never before documented by Europeans. Leichhardt was hailed the ‘Prince of Explorers’ and his party as national heroes upon their return to Sydney in March 1846. The expedition attracted wide acclaim and was described by his contemporaries as ‘the most important expedition that could ever be undertaken in Australia.’80 It has also been credited as one of the longest inland exploration journeys of Australia, and one of the most useful in the

78 G. Trundle, ‘Landsborough, William (1825–1886)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published in 1974. 79 R. Erdos, ‘Leichhardt, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig (1813–1848)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1967. 80 ‘Leichhardt’s Expedition’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 April 1846, p. 2.

44 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT discovery of ‘excellent country available … for pastoral purposes’ and in the collection of the data for the earliest map of the country covered by his route.81 Leichhardt’s next major expedition was a near-abortive trek to cross Australia from the Darling Downs to the west coast, thence following the coast south to the Swan River settlement in 1847. Leichhardt and his party tragically disappeared during a second expedition of the same route the following year, leaving no evidence of their whereabouts after moving inland from Cogoon, Queensland, in April 1848. The SBC contains 272 specimens dated 1846 and 1847 collected from his second expedition (plus an unknown number of the undated collections), as well as 32 specimens collected by Daniel Bunce on the second expedition. The Library holds a rare copy of Leichhardt’s published journal from the Port Essington expedition, entitled Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia, from Moreton Bay to Port Essington: a distance of upward of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845, published in London in 1847 and subsequently in other countries and languages. Other records on Leichhardt held by the Library and Archive include original letters written by Mueller pertaining to the searches for Leichhardt after his disappearance, as well as Expedition in search of Dr Leichhardt: (Report of proceedings), written by Augustus Charles Gregory and published in 1858. Numerous secondary resources relating to Leichhardt’s expeditions and work published throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries also form part of the Library collection.

Figure 24. Type specimen for Indigofera amaliae collected Figure 25. Type specimen for Sargassum amaliae by Amalie Dietrich in a remote part of Queensland during collected by Amalie Dietrich in a remote part of the 1860s and donated to Mueller (MEL586565). Queensland during the 1860s and donated to Mueller (MEL688642).

While these examples of Australia’s inland expeditions focus on male explorers, naturalists and botanists, a number of female collectors were also active in the nineteenth century and made important contributions to botany in Australia. Following the breakdown of her marriage, Amalie Dietrich (b.1821—d.1891) travelled to Australia to collect for the private museum of J.C. Godeffroy in 1863. She journeyed to a number of inhospitable parts of Queensland over a ten-year period collecting specimens, and in 1871 met Mueller in Melbourne. Almost 1,000 of her specimens are now held by the Herbarium, some obtained by Mueller in 1881 and others from Herbarium Hamburgense (HBG) in Germany in the 1970s.82 Flora Campbell held a

81 Erdos, ‘Leichhardt, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig (1813–1848)’, op. cit. 82 ‘Australian National Herbarium, ‘Dietrich, Konkordia Amalie (nee Nelle) (1821—1891)’, Council Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Australian National Herbarium Biographical Notes, 2014; L.A. Gilbert, ‘Dietrich, Amelie

45 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION pioneering role as a woman in science (and an early mycologist), and her collections are significant in holding 84 previously undescribed taxa. Campbell collected for Mueller for more than ten years before becoming the second professional female botanist in his network of collectors.83 Another of Mueller’s female collectors, Mary Bate, collected for at least six years and was one of Mueller’s most reliable sources of specimens.84 She was a prolific collector around Mount Dromedary and Tilba Tilba in New South Wales, including of cryptogams and vascular plants.

Figure 26. Type specimen for Goodenia pusilliflora collected by early female mycologist, Flora Campbell (MEL23130).

Collectively, this rich group makes up the largest holding of specimens amassed on Australia’s many inland expeditions anywhere in Australia. It is of considerable historical significance, providing a tangible link between nineteenth-century inland exploration and questions surrounding the nature of the unknown centre of Australia, and attempts to document it. Its significance is further extended through its link with some of the most celebrated explorers and expeditions of that time. Much of the material collected on these expeditions was new, further enhancing its significance and imbuing it with research potential – particularly in exploring biodiversity before European settlement of these areas, where plants were found, and the effects of a changing climate since that time. The SBC’s extensive collection of specimens from Australia’s inland expeditions is strengthened by comprehensive related literature in the Library, providing further means to examine this material through primary sources.

(1821—1891)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1972. 83 Sara Maroske, ‘Ferdinand Mueller’s female collectors and the history of Australian botany’, Muelleria, vol 32, 2014, pp. 82—3. 84 Ibid, p. 84.

46 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

6.3 Twentieth-century Australian collectors Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 3. Developing local, regional and national economies 3.1 Exploring the coastline 3.3 Surveying the continent 3.11 Altering the environment 7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s heritage 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology Twentieth-century Australian collectors have further added to the depth and breadth of the State Botanical Collection. Most of the collectors described in this section amassed their specimens by private (non-government) means, that is, as amateur botanists or as part of their own collections. They are significant in their focus on a particular species or region, their knowledge in this area (resulting in publications), and in many cases the remarkable size of their collections, forming comprehensive records of that type and location over a specific date range. Some fill a collecting gap left by Mueller’s passing, ensuring valuable data continued to be added to the Herbarium before a focus on fieldwork returned in the second half of the twentieth century. Most of these collections are further enhanced by related publications, papers, collecting notes or artworks, significantly adding to their already considerable research potential. Richard Austin Bastow (b.1839—d.1920) was an architect and designer with an interest in botany, who emigrated to Tasmania from his native Edinburgh in 1884 (and his collecting overlaps the date range allocated to this theme, with many made in the last two decades of the nineteenth century). Bastow was particularly interested in mosses, and the SBC holds 2,695 of his specimens, primarily bryophytes (moss and liverwort) collected mainly in Victoria and Tasmania. The Archive holds unpublished material including Bastow’s collecting notebooks and specimens, 1898—1923, and Bastow’s notebooks and specimens of Australian mosses, 1885—1900, while the Library contains a comprehensive collection of Bastow’s published material including, for example, ‘Tasmanian mosses, their identification, etc’ in the Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania (1885), ‘Tasmanian Mosses’ in the Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania (1886), Australian and Tasmanian mosses (1896), and ‘Key to tribes and genera of Florideae (red or purple marine algae)’ in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales (1899). The herbarium of Raleigh Adalbert Black (b.1880—d.1963) was acquired in 1957. Black, a Scottish-born Australian botanist, amassed one of the largest and most important private collections of Tasmanian plant specimens of the first half of the twentieth century. Black first put his herbarium, numbering approximately 15,000 specimens, up for sale in 1946 but it found no buyers due to the high asking price. It was later sold to the Herbarium for £300, and there are now 6,132 of Black’s own specimens databased (with the total size of Black’s herbarium 8,926). Black also exchanged specimens, and received donations from Australian and international botanists and collectors, for example, S.T. Blake (Queensland), Rev. G.

47 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Holmes (Kimberley region of Western Australia), Agnes Chase (US), C.E. Hubbard (K), and Bernard Boivin (DAO). Black’s herbarium includes 36 Type specimens. The Archive includes the Raleigh Black Papers, comprising an assortment of correspondence (noting the sale of his herbarium), notebooks, diaries, card indexes and so on dating between 1923 and 1954, which complement his specimens.

Figure 27. Type specimen for Carex raleighii, a species Figure 28. Type specimen for Olearia archeri, from discovered by Black, named after him and remaining a Black’s herbarium; the only one of this species at MEL current (MEL1580321). (MEL2301774).

Figure 29. Type specimen for Eragrostis deflexa from Figure 30. Type specimen for Poa orba collected by Black, A.S. Hitchcock’s Grasses of the Hawaiian Islands. who had a particular focus on grasses (>2000 specimens at Hitchcock was an eminent American agrostologist. This is MEL). In the 1990s, Black’s Victorian Poaceae an example of Black’s ability to acquire significant specimens were removed from backlog and accessioned as specimens through exchange and donation, including foreign part of the Flora of Victoria project. This specimen was material that is now an important resource for weed subsequently recognised as belonging to a new species identification (MEL2313945). described by Neville Walsh (MEL2021761).

Amateur botanist and accomplished water colourist William Henry Nicholls (b.1885— d.1951) developed a keen interest in orchids, and was among the first to study Australian orchids in depth. The Specimen Collection comprises 2,110 of his specimens from across southern Australia including some Types, while the Archive contains the W.H. Nicholls

48 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT correspondence, dating from 1930 to 1950 and primarily related to his study of orchids. The Botanical Art collection holds hundreds of artworks completed by Nicholls including Orchids of Australia, 1926—1950, published in his book of that name (461 watercolours); Orchids, 1929— 1950, primarily preliminary and unfinished annotated sketches (approximately 180 watercolours and pen and ink drawings); and orchid paintings dating between 1926—1934 (41 watercolours). The herbarium of Ilma Grace Stone (b.1913—d.2001), an Australian botanist who specialised in bryology (mosses, liverworts and hornworts), was acquired in 2000. This acquisition of 25,255 specimens documents moss distribution throughout Australia, especially Victoria and Queensland from the 1960s to the 1990s. Stone’s herbarium also includes collections from D.G. Catcheside, G.A.M. Scott, W.D. Reese, W.W. Watts and others, increasing its total size to 26,336, including 84 Types. It is complemented by material, both book and journal, authored by Stone in the Library, together with approximately 20 drawings of mosses in the Botanical Art collection. The herbarium of Alexander (Cliff) Beauglehole (b.1920—d.2002), an orchardist from Portland, Victoria, was acquired by the Herbarium over a number of decades. Many of the 69,554 specimens are from an ambitious project to survey each of Victoria's Study Areas (13 regions defined by the Victorian Land Conservation Council in 1970). Beauglehole sent his specimens to the Herbarium after completing each regional study. The Library holds a range of supporting material, including his publications on the distribution and conservation of vascular plants in the various Victorian Study Areas, while the Archive contains correspondence between Beauglehole and James (Jim) Willis, dating between 1983 and 1987 about the botanical surveys.

Figure 31. Type specimen for Lobelia beaugleholei Figure 32. Type specimen for Utricularia beaugleholei collected by Cliff Beauglehole, who was the first to collected by Beauglehole, who recognised it distinct from U. recognise this as distinct from L. pedunculata, and so it dichotoma and was also named for him in 1993 was named after him in 1992 (MEL540822). (MEL91306).

Rex Bertram Filson (b.1930—) was originally a carpenter by trade, and in this capacity he travelled to Antarctica in 1961—1963 with the Antarctic Division of the Department of Science, where he completed artworks depicting Antarctic botanical specimens. Moving into botany, he worked as a biologist with the Maud Gibson Trust at the RBGV in 1964, before his employment with the Department of Crown Lands and Survey in Victoria between 1965 and 1988 as a seeds collector, lichenologist and senior botanist. The SBC holds 15,194 of Filson’s collections, including 47 Type specimens, primarily from the 1960s to the 1980s made around Australia and globally, including 521 subantarctic lichens and mosses. They are widely used by Australian and international lichenologists. These are complemented by 37 of Filson’s

49 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION collecting books, detailing his collections in Australia between 1954 and 1987, and an extensive group of his published work, together with more than 100 of Filson’s watercolours and pen and ink drawings, most commonly of lichens, held in the Botanical Art collection. These include 46 pen and ink studies and watercolours of lichens from Antarctica from 1962; 41 pen and ink drawings of lichen dated 1965; 23 pen and ink drawings of Victorian wildflowers from 1975; 17 pen and ink drawings of Pultenaea (Bush Pea) from 1976, among others.

Figure 34. An illustration of Buellia grimmiae from Figure 33. Type specimen of Buellia grimmiae collected Filson's monograph: The Lichens and Mosses of by Filson from Field Rock, Antarctica, in 1962. MacRobertson Land, published in 1966 by the Filson’s Type specimens from this region continue to be Antarctic Division of the Australian Department of utilised by internationally renowned lichenologists External Affairs (MEL14363_b). (MEL14363).

The N.E.M. Walters Fungal Collection of wood-rot fungi from the CSIRO Division of Forest Products (DFP) was acquired by the Herbarium in 2000 and numbers 1,240 specimens. It is set apart from those previously mentioned in this section in that Neville Walters acquired specimens from Australia and around the world for the CSIRO, in which he was employed. Collecting started in the 1930s through the work of DFP scientists, assembling and isolating wood-inhabiting fungi from around Australia and overseas. Further accessions came from a variety of sources, and included continued collecting by DFP staff, material obtained from other institutions, while the majority were sent to Walters (a mycologist and timber pathologist who began working at the CSIRO in the 1950s) following an advertisement he placed in newspapers. His advertisement received a wide response and specimens were received from all states and other countries, primarily New Guinea. The specimens, publications, field notes, correspondence and original works of art of these collectors add research and scientific significance to the SBC. This range and wealth of material provides unique research potential into the specific interest of the particular collector, for example orchids, mosses or wood-rot fungi, from which historic and more contemporary specimens can be compared. The specimens of these collectors are accompanied by complete collecting data ensuring strong provenance, while they are both rare and representative – outstanding collections accumulated by sole collectors who gathered broadly in order to build comprehensive sets. They are indicative of the dedication of botanists and field naturalists to their field of study and as such have good interpretive capacity.

6.4 Nineteenth-century foreign collectors Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change

50 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology For its strong research potential, foreign botanical material is important both within and outside of its own geographical context. The exchange of specimens worldwide has defined the study of botany for centuries, enriching a global understanding of the planet’s natural history and the patterns and origin of plant distribution. Mueller’s networking with the foremost herbaria and plant collectors worldwide characterised the National Herbarium of Victoria’s earliest acquisitions of foreign material, beginning a tradition that continues to the present. Foreign material in the State Botanical Collection now numbers approximately 400,000, comprising Types, duplicates and rare examples of botanical material collected from countries around the world since the seventeenth century. The treasures of the foreign collections are still being elucidated. The most substantial contributor to the SBC’s foreign material is German apothecary and botanist Otto Wilhelm Sonder (b.1812—d.1881) who amassed one of the largest private herbaria in the nineteenth century. Sonder was primarily a collector of other botanists’ specimens (including pre-Linnean collections and collections from students of Linneaus e.g. Thunberg and Erhart), acquiring examples from Australia and around the world. Sonder agreed to sell his herbarium to Mueller when it became too large for him to manage alone, and Mueller first applied for funding for it in 1861. Three cases of Sonder’s specimens arrived in 1870, but it took Mueller decades to persuade the Government of Victoria to purchase the bulk of the collection in 1883 – by which time the collection had reduced in size through sales to other herbaria or collectors. The remainder was vast and remarkable in its breadth; Mueller estimated it contained between 250,000 and 330,000 specimens.85 Included in the SBC’s assemblage is duplicate material of that which was held at the Berlin Herbarium (B) in Germany and destroyed during WWII bombing.

Figure 35. Type specimen for Acacia diptera collected Figure 36. Type specimen for Amphipogon gracili by Preiss from the Darling Basin, WA, in 1839 and collected by Preiss (MEL247831). acquired by MEL as part of the Sonder purchase (MEL33416).

85 P.S. Short, ‘Politics and the purchase of private herbaria’, op. cit., p. 9.

51 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Figure 37. Specimen of Claudea elegans collected by William Harvey, published on the front cover of volume 1 of Phycologia Australica produced by Harvey, which illustrated 300 species in its 5 volumes (MEL643068).

Purchased as part of the Sonder herbarium were 3,907 of Johann August Ludwig Preiss’ (b.1811—d.1883) Western Australian collections (1838—1841) and 207 of Johann Georg Christian Lehmann’s (b.1792—d.1860) Type-rich folders, containing sheets from eighteenth century botanists including Linnaeus. They remain essential points of reference for taxonomic research and are particularly rare within Australia.86 Preiss’ collections form the basis of Plantae preissianae. A set of specimens were sent to Joachim Steetz (b.1804—d.1862) in 1843, and these are now in the Herbarium. 400 of Preiss’ collections were received from Sonder by Mueller in 1854, with additional specimens arriving with the Sonder herbarium in 1883.87

Specimens collected by Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied (b.1782—d.1867) were also acquired as part of the Sonder herbarium. Wied was a German explorer and naturalist, and is noted for his pioneering expedition to Brazil between 1815 and 1817. Following his death, Wied’s collection was separated and sold or donated in lots, including a group to Sonder. Wied’s collections in the SBC number 326, including 145 Type specimens. It is the only collection in Australia to hold Wied material, and the second-most comprehensive in the world (with the largest collection held by the Herbarium Martii, Belgium).88 Irish botanist and phycologist William Henry Harvey (b.1811—d.1866) spent between January 1854 and June 1855 in Australia as part of his second extended overseas journey to explore algal species. His time in Australia included collecting with Mueller in Port Phillip Bay. When he returned to Ireland in 1855, he gave Mueller a ‘travelling set’ of his own collection, numbering 1,192 (the original set is held by the Trinity College Dublin Herbarium) he had collected and which he used as a basis for the five-volume Phycologia Australica, which described

86 Willis, ‘Melbourne: a focal point …’, op. cit., p. 2. 87 Cohn, [History … – Appendix 3], op. cit., p. 21. 88 C.L. Gallagher and P.L.R. de Moraes, ‘Hidden treasures: Brazilian plants collected by Prince Maximilian zu Wied held in the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL)’, Muelleria, vol. 32, 2014, pp. 58—71.

52 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT and illustrated 300 species of Australian algae for the first time.89 The Library holds all 5 volumes of this work in its rare book collection.

Figure 38. Type specimen for Stenocalyx sulcatus var. Figure 39. Type specimen for Zollernia falcata collected strictus O.Berg collected by Wied-Neuwied – the only by Wied-Neuwied & Nees – this example is a duplicate known type material of this taxon. The inscription has an of a Type specimen that was destroyed at Berlin during original label in Wied’s hand, with annotations by Berg WWII (MEL2062015). (MEL2353741).

Figure 40. Type specimen for Agathosma biscula Figure 41. Type specimen for Agathosma lediformis collected by Lambert from in 1826 and collected by Zeyher from South Africa and acquired by acquired by MEL as part of the Sonder purchase MEL as part of the Sonder purchase (MEL89688). (MEL89555).

Thomas Drummond (b.1790—d.1835) joined Captain John Franklin’s (b.1786—d.1847) second expedition to the Arctic (1825—1827) as assistant naturalist to John Richardson

89 John A.N. Parnell, H. Bryan S. Womersley, Doris Sinkora, Alison Vaughan and John M. Huisman, ‘W.H. Harvey’s Australian Travelling Sets of Algae in the Herbarium of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL), Australia’, Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. 110B, No. 2 (September 2010), p. 119.

53 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION (b.1787—d.1865). While Franklin led the main party to the Arctic, Drummond remained in North America and Canada to collect specimens, 239 of which are now held by the SBC. Mueller obtained Drummond’s private collection from Drummond’s son in 1866. The plants sent home by Drummond were also described by William Hooker in his Flora Boreali-Americana, his Journal of Botany, and Companion to the Botanical Magazine. The collections of Czech botanist Franz Wilhelm Sieber (b.1789—d.1844) originated from his travel around Europe, the Middle East, southern Africa and Australia. Sieber’s interest in this area was spurred by an arrangement with German botanist Karl Zeyher (b.1799—d.1858) to collect for him in South Africa. They sailed for Mauritius in 1822, and Zeyher remained at the Cape while Sieber went on to Mauritius and Australia. On Sieber’s return in 1824, he collected Zeyher’s specimens, however the payment he promised was never made. Sieber’s material from Nova Hollandia (New Holland or Australia) was largely gathered during his seven months in Port Jackson in 1823, numbering 1,466 collections now held by the SBC, which also comprises 489 foreign specimens from his other expeditions. Additionally, Sieber distributed a number of exsiccatae sets containing specimens collected by others but dispersed by him, for example Flor Mauritiana (from Mauritius) and Flor Senegalensis (from Senegal). Sieber’s specimens are rich in Types, with a substantial number of Sieber’s collections acquired by the Herbarium as part of the Joachim Steetz (b.1804—d.1862) herbarium purchased by Mueller after Steetz’s death. Steetz himself acquired specimens from several sources.90

Figure 42. Type specimen for pyramidalis collected Figure 43. Specimen of Crotalaria retusa collected by by Sieber from South Africa in 1822-24, now believed Sieber from Mauritius (MEL2342914). extinct (MEL2401918).

Through Mueller’s relationship with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the SBC now holds 795 specimens from the collection of one of its former Directors (1865—1885), Joseph Hooker (b.1817—d.1911). Hooker was a British botanist and explorer who succeeded his father, William Hooker, in his appointment as Director of the Gardens. The Herbarium holds 281 collections associated with Hooker’s voyage to Australia and 191 specimens from his herbarium that were collected by other people; of these, 107 are from Australia. The Library contains a number of his publications, including volumes related to his investigation of Tasmanian flora: Hepaticae Antarcticae, Supplementum: or Specific Characters, with Brief Descriptions, of Some Additional Species of the Hepaticae in the Antarctic regions, New Zealand and Tasmania (1845); Florae Tasmania Spicilegium: or, Contributions towards a Flora of Van Diemen's Land (1847); The Botany

90 Cohn, [History … – Appendix 3], op. cit., p. 23.

54 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT of the Antarctic Voyage of H. M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843, under the Command of Captain Sir James Ross: Part III - Flora Tasmaniae (1855); On the Flora of Australia, its Origins, Affinities and Distribution: being an introductory essay to the Flora of Tasmania (1859). Additional material related to Hooker comprises letters to Mueller about Australian botany, and the authorship, progress and administrative details of Flora Australiensis, for which Mueller supplied his Australian specimens to Kew.

Figure 44. Type specimen of Grevillea australis, Figure 45. Type specimen of Leptorhynchos collected by Joseph Hooker on his expedition to Tasmania elongatus Sond. var. tasmanicus, collected by Joseph (MEL63658). Hooker on his expedition to Tasmania and acquired as part of the Sonder collection (MEL248501).

Of interesting economic value is the SBC holding of 26 collections by Robert Fortune (b.1812—d.1880), a Scottish botanist noted for introducing tea plants from China to India. In 1848, under instruction from the British East India Company, Fortune travelled to China’s interior to learn tea horticulture and manufacturing – at that time unknown in the Western world.91 These include Camellia sinensis (tea plant). A complementary publication in the Library is Two Visits to the Tea Countries of China, and the British Tea Plantations in the Himalaya: With a Narrative of Adventures and a Full Description of the Culture of the Tea Plant, the Agriculture, Horticulture and Botany of China, published in 1853.

Figure 46. Copies of both volumes of Fortune’s Two Visits to the Tea Countries of China, and the British Tea Plantations in the Himalaya (583.166).

91 Sarah Rose, ‘The Great British Tea Heist’, Smithsonian, 9 March 2010.

55 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Figure 47. Specimen of Camellia sinensis collected by Figure 48. Specimen of Anemone japonica, collected Fortune from Yeddo [Tokyo] (MEL 2382390). by Fortune from the north of China, who introduced the species to English horticulture (MEL2401681).

The SBC holds 55 plant specimens collected by John Kirk (b.1832—d.1922) during David Livingstone’s (b.1813—d.1873) celebrated Zambezi expedition to discover the source of the Nile from 1858 to 1864. Kirk was appointed as physician, botanist, and companion to Livingstone during the expedition and the SBC duplicates comprise the largest collection from this expedition within Australia. The SBC also contains 24 specimens collected by naturalist C.J. Meller, who accompanied the Expedition.

Figure 49. Type specimen of Popowia kirkii Figure 50. Type specimen of Crotalaria retusa collected by John Kirk during the Zambezi collected by John Kirk during the Zambezi expedition to discover the source of the Nile expedition to discover the source of the Nile (MEL2382328). (MEL2342911).

The SBC holds 150 of Odoardo Beccari’s (b.1843—d.1920) collections not only from Australia, but especially Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, together with a number of books authored by him. Beccari discovered the titan arum (Conocephalum titanum =Amorphophallus titanium), known as the corpse flower, in Sumatra in 1878. Although rare and particularly difficult to cultivate, plantings of the titan arum are one of the best known and most visited

56 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT plants at the Melbourne Gardens, celebrated for its rarity, rapid growth, and the size, spectacular appearance and smell of its flower, ensuring that it draws large crowds when flowering. The Herbarium holds the only Type material for this species in Australia (with some other international herbaria also holding Type specimens), with it classified as Vulnerable on the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants due to the impact of deforestation of the Sumatran rainforests.

Figure 51. & Figure 52. Type specimens of Conophallus titanium [current name Amorphophallus titanium , common name = Titan Arum] endemic to Sumatera, Indonesia, collected in 1878 by Beccari. In Australia MEL is the only herbarium with this Type material. This species was classified as Vulnerable on the 1997 IUCN Red list of Threatened Plants due to the impact of deforestation of the Sumatran rainforests (MEL99575 & MEL99576).

The specimens amassed by these nineteenth-century collectors, together with many others in the SBC, continue to form an important foundation for research into botany as a global pursuit. Many of these specimens are rare, that is, comparative material is not held in other herbaria, and as part of an accessible working collection they are of considerable importance to current international research. Some are specimens of plants that are now extinct in their original habitat. They are also historically significant, tracing how the Herbarium developed into one of the finest research collections of its time, and highlighting the reasons why Mueller considered an international reference collection was essential to support and enhance his own work.

6.5 Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 3. Developing local, regional and national economies 3.11 Altering the environment 7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s heritage

57 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology The State Botanical Collection is an essential resource for botanists and scientists as they work to document, understand and conserve Australia’s changing environment. Historic specimens are as valuable as contemporary collections as they provide a foundation of evidence for where plants were distributed and when in recent human history, enabling researchers access to the primary source material to trace changes over time. Biodiversity, environmental and climate change studies in particular are areas of considerable growth, continually evolving alongside the developments in this field. Therefore, the depth and breadth of the Specimen Collection, the quality of the data associated with each voucher, its geo-referencing, and importantly, its accessibility to researchers places it at the forefront of current research undertaken by staff of the National Herbarium of Victoria and visiting scholars from across Australia and internationally. This is further enhanced by the accessibility of data online, and comprehensive published material in the Library.

Figure 53. Specimen of Livistona australis collected by Mueller from the Brodribb River in Victoria. Currently, the most southerly stand of this species is near Cabbage Tree Creek, 30 kilometres east of Orbost, Victoria; an area that Mueller was instrumental in having conserved under a Government Act passed in 1871. This species is listed as vulnerable in Victoria and is listed in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (MEL726924).

The development and growth of the Specimen Collection lends to its significance as a research tool and its capacity to document our changing environment. Ferdinand Mueller (b.1825— d.1896) understood the importance of fieldwork to obtain specimens, and the research activities that ensued, and the number of specimens accrued under his directorship rapidly enhanced its scientific potential. Through his collections Mueller built a comprehensive reference collection of the species endemic to the areas he explored, and over following decades these specimens have remained valuable to understanding differences to have occurred since the mid-nineteenth century. This work continued under the guidance of subsequent directors (although sometimes to a lesser extent), including Alfred Ewart (b.1872—d.1937) who was appointed in 1906. Ewart recognised the importance of collecting

58 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT specimens in areas undergoing rapid transformation as a result of increasing agriculture and encroaching weeds. In promoting the value of systematic botanical exploration in the face of such changes, he sought to document the degree of ecological damage.92 Staff collecting increased in the second half of the twentieth century, and James H. Willis (b.1910—d.1995), for example, who joined the Herbarium in 1937, collected more than 20,300 specimens, while Neville Walsh, now Senior Conservation Botanist, has lodged more than 8,200 specimens since the 1970s. Specimens provide valuable data for research into changing plant biodiversity as a result of urbanisation, the movement of invasive species, the extinction of environmentally sensitive plants, and suggest conservation priorities for taxa in endangered habitats.93 Recent work on species distribution and survival notes that Australia has 20,000 vascular plant species, representing 10% of the world’s plant species, with 90% unique to Australia. Seven percent of Australia’s plant species are currently threatened or vulnerable; these represent 15% of the world’s threatened plant species.94 Specimens in the SBC represent a number of near threatened, endangered, and extinct plants, and includes plants listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act). The FFG Act is state legislation designed to conserve Victoria’s communities of flora, and provides a listing of threatened taxa and communities. SBC specimens inform nominations and listings for the FFG Act, in addition to the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Specific examples include Senecio georgianus (Grey Groundsel), which is listed under the EPBC Act, Atriplex billardierei (Glistening Saltbush) and Caledenia pumila (Dwarf Spider-orchid). The Dwarf Spider-orchid, for example, was first collected in 1916 in Bannockburn, near Geelong, by amateur plant collector and school teacher Miss Bertha Pilloud. It was described by R.S. Rogers six years later, and in 1932 William H. Nicholls (b.1885—d.1951) included an artwork of the Dwarf Spider-orchid in his book Orchids of Australia. For three-quarters of a century no further reports of the Dwarf Spider-orchid were made and it was presumed extinct, before being re-identified in 2009.95 The SBC holds two early specimens of the Dwarf Spider- orchid: one from Nicholls and a second from Pilloud from 1926. In addition, the Library holds the four volumes of Nicholls book, published between 1951 and 1958 and a second edition published in 1969. This is further strengthened by hundreds of original watercolour paintings by Nicholls for the Orchids of Australia and later pen, ink and pencil drawings. The Specimen Collection now also holds an example of the Dwarf Spider-orchid collected in 2015. Orchids are by far the most richly represented plant group amongst Victoria’s threatened species list. They are demanding in their growth and pollination requirements, needing suitable symbiotic root fungi to become established and often, a species-specific pollinating insect (usually a wasp or bee). Propagators at RBGV have pioneered techniques for successfully propagating and reintroducing to the wild many of Victoria’s threatened orchid species, creating populations of hundreds of plants where originally only a few individuals were known. A number of other projects that monitor or document rare and endangered species draw on nineteenth-century specimens for critical data. For example, collections by Hermann Beckler (b.1828—d.1914) on the Burke and Wills Expedition (the Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860—1861), and subsequent relief expeditions, include species that are now critically endangered, such as Acanthocladium dockeri (Spiny Everlasting), and others that are presumed extinct, including Glinus orygioides. Glinus orygioides is one of the new species that Mueller described from Beckler’s collection. It is now presumed extinct in New South Wales, with only

92 Cohn, [History … - Chapter 3], op. cit., p. 3. 93 Theresa M. Culley, ‘Why vouchers matter in botanical research’, Applications in Plant Sciences 1 (11), 2013, p. 3. 94 Council Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens, National Strategy and Action Plan for the Role of Australia’s Botanic Gardens in Adapting to Climate Change, 2008, p. 6. 95 ‘Dwarf Spider-orchid’, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 2015.

59 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION six NSW records of this species in Australian herbaria, four of which are Beckler specimens held at MEL.

Figure 54. Specimen of Caladenia pumila – believed Figure 55. Type specimen of Caladenia venusta: extinct since the 1920s until rediscovered in 2009. Only known from a small reserve near Stawell, VIC. two wild plants are known but RBGV now has Thousands of plants have been propagated and approximately 20 in cultivation. More will be propagated translocated from this area into nearby secure sites of until there is enough stock to do a translocation into a safe matched habitat (MEL223587). site (MEL2016190).

Figure 56. Type specimen for Caladenia xanthochila: Figure 57. Type specimen for Pterostylis valida, known from only two natural populations, but a number believed extinct since the 1940s from its natural habitat of translocations by the RBGV into secure private land at Mt Tarrengower, near Maldon, Victoria. It was have been undertaken to support the future of the species rediscovered in a similar granite outcrop habitat in 2009 (MEL2010151). and new populations have been established in secure sites from RBGV propagated plants (MEL516832).

A further example is Pimelea spinescens, with subspecies spinescens (Spiny Rice-Flower) and pubiflora (Wimmera Rice-Flower), listed as critically endangered under the EPBC Act. Prior to the discovery of a population of Wimmera Rice-Flower in 2005 it was presumed extinct, with the last-known collection in 1901. It is (and was) restricted to the western Wimmera where most of its habitat had been lost to cereal cropping and grazing, and is now known from two small areas. A small number of nineteenth-century specimens in the SBC, together with specimens collected from 2005, inform part of a conservation genetics project on Pimelea

60 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT spinescens that seeks to manage its long-term viability, with plans to establish new populations of this species in appropriate sites in the Wimmera using seed currently stored in the Victorian Conservation Seedbank, which is hosted by the RBGV. Borya mirabilis (Grampians Pincushion Lily) is known from a single natural population that was severely burnt in the 2006 fires of the Grampians. Less than one square metre in total of the plant is known to occur in nature and it has never been observed to produce seed. Plants propagated by cuttings at RBGV were used to help create a second, artificial population north of the Mackeys Peak population. This population was fortuitously unaffected by the 2005 Grampians fires, and the plants are growing well. Occasional additions are made to this population to increase the ‘insurance’ value of this species. A range of specimens in the SBC are used in current climate change studies projects that seek to highlight the impact of temperature variation in shifting geographic distribution and flowering times, and changes to air quality. These may be contemporary specimens that have been collected as part of particular projects, or nineteenth-century material used specifically for climate variation research, such as a project on Bowenia spectabilis. The rich collection of nineteenth-century Bowenia spectabilis (a species of cycad endemic to Queensland) specimens in the SBC, from across a time range (the earliest dating to 1819 and the most recent collection in 1995), enables research into the differences in stomatal density (the movement of gases in and out of a , affecting the availability of carbon dioxide and the loss of water) as a measure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Figure 58. Specimen of Pimelea spinescens subsp. Figure 59. Specimen of Borya mirabilis (Grampians pubiflora (Wimmera Rice-flower) presumed extinct in Pincushion Lily) known from a single natural population 2005, currently part of a research initiative by MEL to that was severely burned in the 2006 bushfires at the manage its long-term viability in its natural habitat of the Grampians, making it a valuable contemporary research western Wimmera, Victoria (MEL2275861). tool (MEL51090).

Other specimens used in recent climate change studies include Austrodanthonia caespitose (an Australian native grass, with specimens in the SBC dating from 1848 to 2013) and Australian Solanum (which includes early specimens such as Solanum viridifolium Dunal collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in 1770, Solanum echinatum, Solanum symonii and Solanum tetrandrum collected by Robert Brown in the Northern Territory and Western Australia in 1802 and 1803, through to contemporary collections). Another relevant project involves specimens collected as part of the international collaboration known as the Mountain Invasions Research Network (MIREN). MIREN aims to investigate the effects of global environmental changes on plant

61 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION biodiversity and invasions, particularly in mountain regions.96 When the Australian conservation botanist involved in this project notes a species that is showing range extension or a new occurrence, a collection is made and lodged in the SBC. Current research in documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment, together with similar research in a global context, is published in scientific journals of which the Library’s collection is comprehensive and up-to-date, providing important support for the work of botanists and scientists. Therefore, for its current and future research potential, the SBC is of immense scientific and research significance. It is used extensively for a range of research projects by staff and visitors, and has the potential to be mined for important information far into the future.

6.6 Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology The Library and Archive were founded on the personal library of Ferdinand Mueller (b.1825—d.1896) at the Melbourne Gardens during the 1850s. In his capacity as Victoria’s Government Botanist (1853—1896), Mueller became the focus of botanical activities within Australia and the authority on its indigenous flora. To inform his understandings of Australian plants, Mueller spent government funds, as well as much of his own money, amassing a library of essential texts on botany the world over. These form the basis of today’s extensive collection, and continue to perform a vital function in association with the Specimen Collection. The Library contains valuable reference material that supports and enhances scientific research of its own and other collections. It is now considered one of the most comprehensive botanical libraries in Australia. In total, the Library’s periodicals and general and rare book collections comprise over 24,000 titles,97 covering the fields of plant taxonomy and systematics; horticulture, gardening and landscape design; the exploration of Australia and its natural resources; botanical illustration; the history of botany and horticulture in Australia; and the history of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the National Herbarium of Victoria. These publications afford present- day researchers invaluable reference material relating to important people, species, discoveries and events in the development of botany as a scientific discipline worldwide. The general book collection consists of 21,823 titles demonstrating a wide-ranging breadth of botanical knowledge published within Australia and internationally. A small number of representative titles are discussed below as an indication of the depth of this material. The Library holds several publications relating to economic botany; exploring the ways in which humans use plants for food, shelter, medicines, textiles, and other uses. Not least of these is Robert Bentley (b.1821—d.1893) and Henry Trimen’s (b.1843—d.1896) Medicinal Plants, published in 4 volumes in 1880. Along with descriptions, characters, properties and uses of the principal plants employed in medicine at the time, the publications contained over 300 hand-coloured illustrations by botanist David Blair. Between them, Bentley and Trimen published several works on economic botany and distinguished themselves in the field.98

96 ‘Home’, Mountain Invasion Research Network, no date. 97 DELWP, Valuation Report: Royal Botanic Gardens Collection, prepared for Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, 2016. 98 G.S. Boulger, ‘Bentley, Robert (1821-1893)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 1901; G. S. Boulger, ‘Trimen, Henry (1843-1896)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 1899.

62 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Mycology – or the study of fungi – is a botanical research area in which both the SBC and its staff excels, with important specimens complemented by valuable reference material. Examples include Mykologie by Julius Oscar Brefeld (b.1839—d.1925), a German botanist and mycologist who developed pioneering methods for mycological study, examining thousands of cultures of diverse groups of fungi throughout his lifetime. Brefeld’s work in this area was printed in the 15-volume Mykologie, published between 1872 and 1912, which contributed previously unparalleled knowledge and theory about fungi to botanical science at the time.99 The Library holds a copy of each of the 15 volumes. Similarly, Illustrations of British Fungi by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke (b.1825—d.1914) is an instrumental work in the study of mycology. Cooke’s illustrations were published in 8 volumes between 1881 and 1891 and were highly regarded by his contemporaries as ‘perhaps the finest set of agaries in existence’, though it has since been found that many of his plates were incorrectly named.100

Figure 60. Illustration of Hymenomycetes by Cooke Figure 61. Illustration of Hymenomycetes by Cooke published in Illustrations of British Fungi in 1881 published in Illustrations of British Fungi in 1881 (589.20994 HAN). (589.20994 HAN).

The Library holds a number of titles in its general book collection on the history of horticulture, gardening and landscape design; particularly relevant to the Herbarium’s relationship with the designed landscape of the Melbourne Gardens since its inception. This includes English lawyer and microscopist Frank Crisp’s (b.1843—d.1819) Mediaeval Gardens, published in 2 volumes in 1924. The publication comprises an exhaustive survey of gardening

99 D. Isely, One Hundred and One Botanists, Iowa State University, Iowa, 1994, p. 221. 100 A.A. Pearson, ‘Cooke’s Illustrations of British Fungi’, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, vol. 20, no. 1, 1935, pp. 33-95.

63 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION and herbs from that period, an area of interest which Crisp carried through to the gardens at his own eccentric property, Friar Park.101 Of horticultural interest is Paxton’s Flower Garden by John Lindley (b.1799—d.1865) and Joseph Paxton (b.1803—d.1865), published in three volumes between 1850 and 1853. The publication aimed to ‘supply… as full an account of all the new and remarkable plants introduced into cultivation’, as well as provide ‘the history of such plants being sought in the Botanical Works published on the continent, to which English cultivators have little access’.102 Though not of particular note in scientific terms, Flower Garden is an attractive work on garden flowers reflecting cultural norms of the period, and was prepared by two eminent British botanists. Paxton gained notoriety as head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth, which brought him numerous commissions for the design of large-scale public gardens. Lindley’s career began as assistant librarian of Sir Joseph Banks, later becoming Professor of Botany at the University College London, and thereafter known as Britain’s pioneer orchidologist. The general book collection is also particularly strong in more contemporary publications, demonstrating the evolution of taxonomic botany over time when compared with its earlier material. Meliyasena Dhammadasa Dassanayake’s (b.1921—), Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon (14 volumes), published 1980—2000 is a revision of Henry Trimen’s valuable 1893 publication, Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon, both of which are held in the Library collection. Other examples are Peter Hadland Davis’ (b.1918 —d.1992), Flora of Turkey (10 volumes), published 1965—2000; Karl Heinz Rechinger’s (b.1906—d.1998) Flora Iranica, published 1963—; and Harold William Rickett’s (b.1896—d.1989) Wildflowers of the United States (6 volumes), published 1965—1976. A number of titles document foreign flora, providing Australian researchers with access to the science of botany in an international context. Such publications include Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker’s (b.1817—d.1911) The Flora of British India (7 volumes), published 1875—1897; Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach’s (b.1793—d.1879) noteworthy Icones Florae Germanicae (22 volumes), published 1850—1877; Thomas Nuttall’s (b.1786—d.1859) North American Sylva (2 volumes), published in 1857 (reissued 1859); Flora Sylvatica Koreana (22 parts), published 1915—1939 by Takenoshin Nakai (b.1882 —d.1952); Maurice Pillard- Verneuil’s (b. 1869—d.1942), Etude de la Plante, published in 1890; and Filices Exoticae by William Jackson Hooker (b.1785—d.1865), published in 1859. Focusing on Australian botanical research, both the general and rare book collections hold influential publications. One such example in the general collection is the work of William Henry Harvey (b.1811—d.1866) on phycology – the study of algae – published in his Phycologia Australica in 5 volumes, between 1858 and 1863. Unlike many of his contemporaries who relied on specimens collected by others, Harvey spent three years collecting along the Australian coastline to inform his work. In Phycologia Australica, Harvey described and illustrated over 300 species of Australian algae, earning himself the title the ‘Father of Australian phycology’.103

101 A. McConnell, ‘Crisp, Sir Frank, first baronet (1843–1919)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 2004. 102 J. Lindley and J. Paxton, Paxton’s Flower Garden, vol. 1, Bradbury and Evans, London, 1853. 103 J. M. Huisman, Marine Plants of Australia, University of Western Australia Press, , 2000.

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Figure 62. Complete set of 5 volumes (and duplicates) of Harvey’s Phycologia Australica in the Library collection (589.3994 PHY v 1-4).

Figure 63. Inside cover of Phycologia Australica with dedication to Ferdinand Mueller (589.3994 PHY v3).

The rare book collection comprises a total of 1,018 titles, much of which dates prior to 1851, with the earliest material originating from the mid-sixteenth century. It holds titles that are not widely available, in addition to those that are fragile, requiring secure storage or stricter preservation measures. Complementing the SBC’s early specimen collection is Joseph Banks’ (b.1743—d.1820) Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage Round the World in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768—71 (3 volumes), published in 1900, as well as Joseph Banks and Sydney Parkinson’s (b.1745— d.1771), Banks’ Florilegum, published in 1988. Both publications are derived from a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Banks and Daniel Solander (b.1733—d.1782) and drawn by artist Sydney Parkinson aboard the Endeavour, comprising a highly significant record of the botanical discoveries of that voyage. Parkinson’s illustrations were engraved upon their return to England but were not printed until 1900, at which time the British Museum – to which Banks had bequeathed the plates upon his death – authorised printing of a limited series of the plates through photolithography; it is from this series that the former originates. The plates were not produced in full colour version under the title Banks' florilegium, until 1980, as part of the twentieth-century’s largest fine art printing project, which was undertaken by the British Museum. The Museum printed just 100 sets of the full colour publication – utilising the original copperplates and a seventeenth-century printing technique – making this an important visual and scientific reference for the Library. Other rare publications documenting the European exploration of Australia are those by botanical artist Ferdinand Bauer (b.1760—d.1826) and botanist Robert Brown (b.1773— d.1858). Bauer and Brown were aboard Matthew Flinders’ (b.1774—d.1814) HMS Investigator (1801—1803) voyage, which was the first to circumnavigate the island continent of Australia. In 1810, Brown published his findings on the flora of Australia in a book known in short as Prodromus, which was withdrawn from press due to low sales; the Library holds three copies of this publication, one of which is inscribed by botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham, a contemporary of Brown. Bauer later published a separate volume of illustrations meant for Prodromus in 1813, known in short as Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae, of which the Library holds one of only fifty copies ever published.

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Figure 65. Complete set of Bentham’s Flora Australiensis (REF 581.994 FLO V1-7).

Figure 64. An illustration of Carapa Moluccensis in Banks & Solander’s Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage Round the World (RB EFOL 11/6).

An example of Mueller’s substantial contribution to documenting Australian flora is the notable Flora Australiensis, which comprised 7 volumes published 1863—1878 and authored by English botanist George Bentham (b.1800—d.1884). Flora Australiensis was the first guide of Australian flora ever created. Mueller was initially asked to author the work but refused to work from Kew and use European reference collections, with the position subsequently offered to Bentham who wrote the guide having never seen Australian plants in their natural habitat. Mueller provided critical assistance to Bentham by sending his entire Australian collection to Kew in stages. The specimens used continue to be held by the SBC and are signified by a folded corner and the notation ‘B’ in their accompanying notes. The Archive also contains letters from Bentham to Mueller 1857—1858, as well as bills of loading documenting the shipments to Kew. Flora Australiensis has been described, next to Linnaeus’s Philosophia Botanica, as ‘perhaps the most monumental work in the history of botany’, making it an invaluable resource for researching Australian flora, and is available in a number of collecting institutions.104 The Library holds three sets of Flora Australiensis, two of which are working reference sets within the general book collection, while a third, inscribed by Bentham himself to Mueller, is stored in the rare books collection. The earliest title held in the Library is that authored by German botanist and physician Leonhard Fuchs (b.1501—d.1566), De historia stirpium commentarii insignes, first published in 1542. Known as a Herbal, Fuchs’ De historia stirpium contained information about plants and their medicinal properties, and featured more than 500 accurate and detailed drawings of plants that were printed from woodcuts.105 The publication stands apart from its predecessors in its provision of high-quality drawings to indicate a plant and its name; essentially making it one of the earliest records of plant classification.106 The SBC is one of few collections to hold a copy of this publication within Australia.

104 Carr and Carr, People and Plants in Australia, op. cit., p. xiii. 105 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Leonhard Fuchs: German Botanist and Physician, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2016. 106 Ibid.

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Figure 67. Illustration of corn on page 815 of Fuch’s De historia stirpium (RB D 581.634 FUC).

Figure 66. Fuch’s De historia stirpium, one of the oldest publications in the rare book collection (RB D 581.634 FUC).

The collection of periodicals comprises 1,302 titles, many of which are historic, long-running and continue to yield important research information. One such example is The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed, with the Library holding all volumes from its earliest publication in 1787. Also known as Curtis’s Botanical Magazine after its first editor William Curtis (b.1746—d.1799) – who held a position as botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – it is the longest running botanical periodical featuring (highly detailed) colour illustrations of plants.107 The magazine is significant in its provision of a continuous international forum of particular interest to botanists and horticulturists, plant ecologists and those with a special interest in botanical illustration. The Library also holds volumes 14 to 33 (1828—1847) of Edwards’ Botanical Register, begun by Sydenham Edwards (b.1768—d.1819), a former illustrator of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. This relatively short-running periodical (having ceased publication in 1847) was similarly well illustrated, with many plants receiving their first publication on its pages.

Figure 68. Complete set of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine (V. 15-V. 69 & V. 71-V. 184). Figure 69. Volumes of the short running Edwards’s Botanical Register (V. 14-V. 33).

107 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2016.

67 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION The Gardeners’ Chronicle rivals Curtis’s as a long-running periodical, having lasted as a title in its own right for nearly 150 years until Horticulture Week absorbed it in 1986. Founded in 1841 by influential horticulturists Joseph Paxton (b.1803—d.1865), Charles Wentworth Dilke (b.1810—d.1869) and John Lindley (b.1799—d.1865), its content comprised both British national and foreign news, but also vast amounts of material sent in by gardeners and scientists, covering every conceivable aspect of horticulture. Prominent contributors to the publication included Joseph Hooker (b.1817—d.1911) of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the world-renowned naturalist and pioneer of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin (b.1809—d.1882). The SBC holds an almost complete run of Gardeners’ Chronicle from 1844 to the present day, under its current title Horticulture Week. Paxton is also known for his beautifully illustrated Magazine of Botany, and a complete run of its 16 volumes, published 1834—1849, is held by the Library. Many of the periodicals within the Library Collection document the activities of influential botanical organisations the world over. One of the most significant of these is the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active biological society, which has subsidiary branches in a number of other countries including Australia.108 The Society takes its name from Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus (b.1707—d.1778), who formalised the modern system of naming organisms, earning him the title of the ‘Father of modern taxonomy’.109 The Society continues to play a central role in the documentation of the world’s flora and fauna – as Linnaeus himself did – recognising the continuing importance of such work to biodiversity conservation.110 The Library holds a total of 38 periodicals produced by the London Society, including 11 volumes of Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society (includes Journal of the proceedings of the Linnean Society) and 27 volumes of Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany, plus indexes, published 1865—1968. The library continues to receive the Society’s publication, The Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 1969—.

Figure 70. Early edition of the Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany, held in the Library’s general book collection (V. 9-V. 61).

Figure 71. Recent copy of the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, a later iteration of Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany (V. 62-).

Looking at influential organisations within Australia, Royal Societies were perhaps the most active in the promotion of studies in science, art, literature and philosophy in many states. The

108 The Linnean Society of London, The Society, The Linnean Society of London, 2016. 109 C. H. Calisher, ‘Taxonomy: What’s in a name? Doesn’t a rose by any other name smell as sweet?’, Croatian Medical Journal, vol. 48, no. 2, 2007, pp. 268-270. 110 The Linnean Society of London, The Society, op. cit.

68 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT earliest of these was founded in Sydney in 1821, known as the ‘Philosophical Society of Australasia’, and later renamed the Royal Society of New South Wales when it was granted Royal Assent in 1866.111 The Library holds an almost complete run of the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, from 1867—1876, which is known as one of the earliest peer-reviewed journals in the Southern Hemisphere.112 The Proceedings contained the texts of original papers presented at the monthly general meetings of members, most of which comprised applied science throughout the colony in its early days. The Library Collection also comprises journals published by Royal Societies established in other Australian States, including: Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1875—1950; Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 1884; Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 1880—2008; and Transactions of the Royal Society of Victoria 1860.

6.7 Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.3 Assessing scientifically diverse environments 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 3. Developing local, regional and national economies 3.11 Altering the environment 7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s heritage 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.5 Advancing knowledge in science and technology The State Botanical Collection Archive demonstrates the interrelationship between the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the National Herbarium of Victoria in tangible terms, through its holdings of letters, diaries, collecting books, photographs, unpublished manuscripts, maps and ephemera, which together illustrate the development of the RBGV since its inception. Ferdinand Mueller was not only Victoria’s Government Botanist for 43 years, but also Director of the Gardens between 1857 and 1873, and considered the two institutions were inseparable both physically and in their core purpose. One of Mueller’s first acts as Director was to petition for the construction of a herbarium to house his collection of 45,000 specimens. This goal was realised in 1861, when a herbarium was built (at its former location adjacent to the Botanic Gardens). The Herbarium is the earliest scientific institution in the state, preceding today’s Museum Victoria and State Library of Victoria, both of which were begun in 1854. Collectively, these public institutions demonstrate the colony’s eagerness to inaugurate public bodies of science and learning and establish itself as a worthy contributor on a world stage.113 Mueller saw the Gardens as:

111 The Royal Society of New South Wales, History, Royal Society of New South Wales, 2016. 112 Ibid. 113 Cohn, ‘Novelty to rarity’ in [History of the National Herbarium of Victoria], State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, unpublished c. 2009—2012, p. 2.

69 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION An establishment for the diffusion of knowledge, for the experimental introduction of foreign plants into our adopted country or for multiplying the treasures which our flora offers and as a healthy locality for recreation.114 This complemented his intentions for the Herbarium; initiating indigenous and foreign plant collecting and exchange, and establishing international links with other botanical institutions to develop a world-class herbarium at the RBGV site. Despite the two having been administratively divided in 1873, the Archive remains distinct in its ability to interpret these intentions unlike any other collection in Australia. The Library and Archive provides an insight into the evolution of the Herbarium collection begun by Mueller, as well as both the RBGV’s and Herbarium’s operations, relationships with like organisations, and personnel or associated people throughout their intertwined histories up to the present. A large component of the Archive contains material of both a professional and personal nature relating to Mueller himself, having been retained by the RBGV since his death in 1896. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this is the expansive collection of correspondence written and received by Mueller, sometimes numbering up to 3,000 letters per year. These document his relationships with botanists and other herbaria worldwide, in his efforts to prove the value of his work to an international audience. Likewise, they demonstrate his involvement with several key Australian expeditions, such as Augustus Gregory’s North Australian Exploring Expedition and William Landsborough’s Queensland Relief Expedition. The Archive’s assemblage of Mueller material (comprising many hundreds of items) also offers an insight into his personal life and academic achievements, through certificates, medals and awards (approximately 160, some Australian but mainly European), scientific instruments, private correspondence and ephemeral items including reading glasses and a pair of Berlin wool work braces made by his sister. These tell the story of a solitary man who lived through his work, and represent his remarkable efforts to begin the earliest comprehensive and representative collection of Australian flora in the country. The Archive includes the largest and most complete collection of material relating to Mueller of any institution in Australia.

Figure 72. Letter from Mueller to his one-time fiancée, Figure 73. Letter from Ralph Tate to Mueller Euphemia Henderson, dated 3 February 1863 (RB MSS accompanying ‘a branchlet of Epaltes tatei’, dated 16 M41). November 1885 (RB MSS M20).

114 Ferdinand Mueller, First General Report of the Government Botanist on the Vegetation of the Colony, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1853, p. 7.

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Figure 74. Photograph of embroidered (petty point) braces of chamois leather belonging to Mueller and made by his sister c1860s (RB MSS 204).

Figure 75. Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus bestowed on Mueller on 29 July 1865 by the House of Savoy (). The reason for Mueller being awarded the medal is as yet unknown (RB MSS 206).

In October of 1896 Mueller died in office, and by December the Herbarium was formally named the National Herbarium of Victoria.115 In the years following Mueller’s death, research activities slipped from the Herbarium’s agenda, with fieldwork becoming increasingly less important – and less possible – for its staff.116 The major emphasis for the Herbarium became providing information and identification services to the public and particularly, identification of weed species for the Department of Agriculture. Limited extant records from the period following 1896 reflect this change, with only a single annual report being published under George Luehmann’s (b.1843—d.1904) eight-year leadership as Government Botanist up until his death in 1904. In contrast, Mueller consistently published annual reports on the Herbarium and Gardens throughout his term in office, a complete set of which are held by the Archive, with the earliest Mueller’s First general report of the Government Botanist on the Vegetation of the Colony (1853). Alfred James Ewart’s (b.1872—d.1937) appointment as Government Botanist in 1906 saw a revival of the Herbarium’s research focus. His role was a joint one, Ewart having also taken up the foundation chair of botany and plant physiology at the University of Melbourne, reinforcing his academic capabilities.117 Ewart recognised the importance of seeing plants in their natural environment, and letterpress books of his official correspondence demonstrate the extent of his activities that built upon Mueller’s legacy (RB MSS 399A). Likewise, his

115 Cohn, [History … - Chapter 3], op. cit., p. 3. 116 Ibid. 117 T. C. Chambers, ‘Ewart, Alfred James (1872–1937)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1981.

71 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION appointment saw a resurgence in official publications by the Herbarium, with Ewart completing a total of 36 volumes of the journal Contributions to the flora of Australia between 1907 and 1930, along with an extensive list of other research papers. Undoubtedly his best-known work is the Flora of Victoria (1930), copies of which are held in the Library’s general book collection, along with correspondence he sent and received while authoring the book.118 Fieldwork undertaken by Herbarium staff in the first half of the twentieth century continued to be piecemeal. However, field collecting saw a renaissance during the late-1950s, after which time collections made by staff numbered close to 70,000 items (between 1960 and 2012), whereas the combined total from the turn of the century to 1960 was just 8,000.119 Despite the ebb and flow of its collecting activities, the Archive continued to accumulate records documenting the RBGV’s operations. A substantial contributor in this regard was James (Jim) Hamlyn Willis (b.1910—d.1995), who was employed as a botanist at the Herbarium between 1939 and 1972, becoming the focus of taxonomic botany in Victoria over his 34 years of service.120 This collection includes correspondence and papers assembled throughout his career, occupying 22 meters of library shelving, some ephemera, and Willis’ recordings about his work on cassette tapes. Another prominent staff member represented in the Archive is Richard Thomas Pescott (b.1906—d.1986), the seventh Director of the Gardens between 1957 and 1970. The Archive primarily holds research information Pescott gathered whilst authoring the two publications: W. R. Guilfoyle 1840-1912: the master of landscaping and The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne: a history from 1845 to 1970. Archival records relating to Jan Schapper (b.1951—d.2014) are of a similar nature, Schapper having conducted preliminary research that was instrumental in the commissioning of the 1992 Conservation Analysis and Conservation Constraints report prepared for the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.121 Looking at the Archive more broadly, the collection holds important reference material documenting changes to the Melbourne Gardens over time – a place that is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.122 These include plans and maps; for example, of historic buildings on-site and its landscape design, such as the Map of the Botanic Gardens, prepared in 1909, the Plan of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, dated March 1948, and a hand-coloured reproduction map of the Botanic Gardens by Heyne in 1865. The Archive also holds over 30,000 photographs, made up of historic images of the Melbourne Gardens that are unique to the collection, together with slides of Australia’s flora. This material includes more contemporary photographs taken by staff of the RBGV, as well as those captured during field research: such as 20,000 slides of Australian (mostly Victorian) indigenous flora taken by Ilma Dunn (b.1911—d.2001) from the 1960s to the 1990s for The Mornington Peninsula: A Field Guide to the Flora, Fauna and Walking Tracks (1990); photographs taken by Ian McCann (b.1914—d.2003), a photographer and tour guide at the Gardens, who prepared In Flower books on the , Grampians, the coast and the Mallee; and Bob Withers (b.1923—d.2005), a doctor and passionate horticulturalist with an interest in camellias, whose collection of specimens, photographs and records was donated to the Herbarium upon his death.

118 Ibid. 119 Cohn, [History … - Chapter 3], op. cit., p. 5. 120 Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. 121 Nigel Lewis and Richard Aitken Pty Ltd, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne: Conservation Analysis and Conservation Constraints, prepared for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Department of Conservation and Environment, 1992. 122 VHR Place ID 12407.

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Figure 76. Plan of the Government House Reserve Botanic Figure 77. Plan of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens Garden and its Domain indicating the Principal prepared by Guilfoyle in 1909, showing additions and Plantations prepared by E.B. Heyne, under Direction of alterations to the Gardens since 1873 (RB 580.744 Dr F Mueller, 1864 (RB FOL 580.744 MEL.GOV). MEL.HAN).

The Melbourne Gardens has been the backdrop of significant historical events throughout its history including royal visits, which are documented in photographs and objects held in the Archive. 13 ceremonial spades dating from the late nineteenth century to the present day, for example, were used by dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, The Queen Mother in 1927, Dame Elizabeth Murdoch in 2009, along with various State governors and premiers.

Figure 79. Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip planting a Brush Box at Melbourne Gardens Figure 78. Ceremonial spades used in various ceremonies at during a royal visit on 4 March 1954 (RB MSS 369). Melbourne Gardens. The spade used by Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 is pictured on the far right (RB MSS R4).

Together this material forms a comprehensive collection that documents the history and operations of the RBGV and the Herbarium since their establishment. It reflects the developments, events and people that have shaped the organisation, and the shifting concerns over many decades that have governed the direction it takes. It contains material essential to understanding the importance of the site in the history of Melbourne, and its primary place in the developing botanical knowledge in Australia. For these reasons, the diverse material held in the Archive is of historical significance.

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6.8 Representing Australian flora in art Australian historic themes and sub-themes: 1. Tracing the evolution of the Australian environment 1.1 Tracing climatic and topographical change 1.2 Tracing the emergence of Australian plants and animals 1.4 Appreciating the natural wonders of Australia 7. Governing 7.6.12 Conserving Australia’s heritage 8. Developing Australia’s cultural life 8.10.2 Creating visual arts The Botanical Art collection is an integral component of the National Herbarium of Victoria’s collecting activities, given that the Specimen Collection contains mostly dried and pressed material, which does not retain form or the nuances of colour. Though most (and especially contemporary) botanical research works contain written descriptions of specimens through the eyes of the collector, an illustration can capture what words cannot. Therefore, the Library’s collecting policy includes the acquisition of artworks by Australian artists who document flora in a scientifically accurate manner, performing an important function in the Herbarium’s provision of plant identification services. The artworks are also significant in their own right as aesthetically pleasing interpretations of flora, many of which are not duplicated in other Australian collections. The Botanical Art collection comprises more than 5,000 works in a range of mediums, including pencil sketches, watercolours, inks and lithographs, dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Early works include a collection of pencil sketches and lithographs (proofs) by artists Richard Austen, Ludwig Becker, Robert Graff and Frederick Schoenfeld dating between the 1860s and 1890s. These works, undertaken to illustrate the publications of Ferdinand Mueller, comprise 104 works that depict Australian plants, with some bearing annotations by Mueller and others. They were prepared for the following titles (which now all form part of the Library collection): Richard Austen (unknown) for Eucalyptographia: A Descriptive Atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the Adjoining Islands, published 1879—1884; Ludwig Becker (b.1808—d.1861) for Fragmenta Phytographiae Australie, published 1858—1882 and The Plants Indigenous to the Colony of Victoria, published 1860—1865; Robert Graff (b.1841—d.1914) for Description and illustration of the Myoporinacus Plants of Australia, published 1886—1887; and Frederick Schoenfeld (b.1810—d.1868) for Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae, published 1859—68. Another early collection of artworks with strong links to Mueller is that completed by his one- time fiancé Euphemia Henderson (b.1822—d.1907). Henderson was a wildflower artist who worked in watercolours. She painted for Mueller throughout the course of their fleeting relationship and also collected specimens; for example Nematolepis euphemiae F.Muell. (1863) was named after her. A set of 26 watercolour studies of wildflowers by Henderson, completed c.1860s, is held in the Botanical Art collection together with 47 letters to Henderson from Mueller, written between 1862 and 1869 and held in the Archive. Her work is well-known today for her vivid use of colour, and the SBC’s collection is considered a rare assemblage of Henderson’s brief foray into scientific botanical study through Mueller’s influence.123

123 P. Olsen, Collecting Ladies: Ferdinand Von Mueller and Women Botanical Artists, NLA Publishing, Canberra, 2013, p. 53.

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Figure 80. Untitled artwork by Euphemia Henderson (RB MSS A26).

Figure 81. Artwork titled Faradaya splendida F. Muell. completed by Marian Rowan c1891. This is one of the only paintings remaining in the collection of the many sent by Rowan to Mueller for identification (RB MSS EFOL A32).

Another artist with links to Mueller was Marian Ellis Rowan [née Ryan] (b.1848—d.1922), with Mueller mentoring her as a family friend of her father, Charles Ryan.124 Rowan had the ambitious goal to find and record every species of wildflower in Australia, which she attempted by capturing them in her art as well as by collecting plant specimens. 166 specimen collections by Rowan are held in the SBC, and her 6 watercolours in the Botanical Art collection include: Euphrasia Collina, 1886; Voacagna Papuana; Esperna Falcata; Coreopsis Lanceolata; ; and Piavella Cardiofolia. In 1898 she also published A flower-hunter in Queensland and New Zealand, of which the Library holds a copy. Rowan was honoured for her artistic talents when she received a bronze medal for her panel of four watercolour wildflowers in the 1873 Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition. Today her work is held by a number of private collectors, Australian state and national collecting institutions, including large collections at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, the National Library of Australia, Canberra, and the , Brisbane. A collection of 52 watercolour and pencil studies by mycologist George Massee (b.1850— d.1917) supplements the SBC’s large collection of Australian fungi specimens. In the 1890s Massee illustrated new Australian species found in the specimens Mueller sent to Kew and published their results in a series of papers. His artworks are unique in that they each bear the artist’s stamp and species details. Massee’s work attracted the attention of Mordecai Cubitt Cooke (b.1825—d.1914), the first head of mycology at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in his mission to gather all the available information about Australian fungi in his monograph, Handbook of Australian Fungi (1892). This was the first comprehensive account on Australian fungi and gave brief descriptions of all the species found in Australia to that date, notably those by Massee. The Archive also holds letters written to Mueller by Cooke and Massee about the publication of the Handbook of Australian Fungi. Another important collection of artworks featuring fungi is that of Malcolm Howie (b.1900—d.1936), who depicted around 200 different species at life size, mainly between 1931 and 1935. The original paintings were donated to the SBC by the Willis family after the death

124 Ibid, pp. 141-142.

75 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION of Howie’s brother-in-law, Jim Willis in 1995, and include 156 watercolour paintings and 2 sketchbooks.

Figure 82. & Figure 83. Illustrations of Australian fungi specimens by George Massee used in Cooke’s monograph, Handbook of Australian Fungi (RB MSS A53).

A number of artists featured in the Botanical Art collection were collectors whose specimens are also held in the SBC, including amateur botanist and accomplished water colourist William (Bill) Nicholls (b.1885—d.1951). Several hundred of his watercolours, pen, ink, and pencil drawings of orchids form part of the Botanical Art collection. (See 6.3 Twentieth century Australian collectors for more details of Nicholls’ artwork and specimens). A small number of Stan Kelly’s (b.1911—d.2001) Eucalypt specimens together with a much larger number of artworks are also held by the SBC. Kelly had a passion for Eucalypts and over 32 years of travelling the country he collected specimens, from which he painted 508 species in watercolour, many of which were published in two volumes of Eucalyptus (1971 and 1978). In 2009, a selection of Kelly’s botanical illustrations was adapted for the ‘N’ series Australian passport. His paintings are held in national collections as well as in his hometown of Ararat, western Victoria, while the SBC has 500 of Kelly’s paintings. The Botanical Art collection is strongly representative of artists from the latter part of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. These include Collin E. Woolcock (b.1914— d.1990), who produced the majority of his botanical art in the late 1960s and following his retirement in 1975. A total 759 of his pencil and watercolour botanical studies for Australian Native Plants are in the Botanical Art collection. Likewise, the SBC features the work of Margaret Stones (b.1920—), one of Australia’s foremost botanical artists, who is renowned for her taxonomical accuracy. She contributed more than 400 watercolour illustrations to Curtis’s Botanical Magazine from 1958. During the 1960s and 1970s she worked on illustrations for the six-volume book The Endemic Flora of Tasmania; the Botanical Art collection holds 38 of her watercolours dating between c.1948—1976. In the latter part of the twentieth century, the RBGV appointed botanical artists to document its existing specimen collections for the first time. The first to be employed in this post was Anita Barley (nee Podwyszynski) (b.1955—), who was appointed in 1977, a position she

76 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT held for 15 years. Her work is considered some of the finest contemporary botanical art. The Collection includes more than 370 of her artworks ranging from pen and ink studies and pencil drawing, to watercolours, dating between c. 1985 and 1998. Another is Mali Moir, who started her career at the National Herbarium of Victoria as a botanical illustrator in 1992. Whilst there, she contributed illustrations to three of the four volumes of Flora of Victoria (1994—1999) and Flora of Australia (2002). Work by Mali in the Collection includes Grevillea asparagoides, 2001, a set of five pen and ink sketches of various Eucalyptus species, a set of six pen and ink sketches of various Boronia species, a collection of three pen and ink studies of Dianella species, and a collection of 34 pen and ink studies of botanical dissections of Bossiaea.

Figure 84. Pencil and watercolour of Brush Heath Figure 85. Watercolour illustration of Olearia frostii x O. completed by Colin Woolcock between 1976 and 1982 phogopappa sens. lat. by Margaret Stones (RB (RB MSS A16.1). A1.M.A2).

Figure 86. Study of paradoxa, A. paludosa, A. littoralis by Anita Barley (MSSA190.431). Figure 87. Watercolour study of Cynara cardunculus completed by Betty Conabere in 1980 (Not yet catalogued).

A number of highly acclaimed artists both within Australia and abroad are represented. Elizabeth (Betty) Conabere (b.1929—d.2009) is a nationally recognised botanical artist who travelled extensively in Australia, sketching and painting native plants. A set of 98 of

77 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Conabere’s watercolour paintings depicting alpine flora and noxious weeds, dating between 1968—c.1976, form part of the Botanical Art collection. Another example is Celia Rosser (b.1930—), an internationally acclaimed botanical illustrator, who dedicated her life to painting the entire genus of Banksia. The Botanical Art collection holds 8 works by Rosser, including 6 watercolours commissioned by the RBGV depicting the Victorian banksia species, together with her three-volume , considered one of the great botanical publications of the twentieth century and the first ever to contain a painting of every species of banksia.125 All of Rosser’s Banksia specimens collected and used by the artist are also held in the SBC.

Figure 89. Complete set (with duplicates) of George and Rosser’s three-volume The Banksias, containing a painting of every species of banksia (RB EFOL 9/7 V1 […] V3).

Figure 88. Watercolour artwork of Banksia spinosa by Celia Rosser (RB MSS A29).

Botanical art remains just as relevant to the scientific discipline in the twenty-first century as it has in the past, through an artist’s unique ability to capture subtle nuances of a plant (unlike a photograph). The SBC recognises this in its intention to continue to collect works by contemporary artists, such as the work of Enid Mayfield (b.1945—) who published Flora of the Otway Plain and Ranges 1 (2010) and Flora of the Otway Plain and Ranges 2 (2013). The Collection holds approximately 500 of Mayfield’s pen and ink and watercolour illustrations of species found in the Otway Ranges, dating between 1995 and 2006, for these publications. Mayfield has also deposited the specimens used to complete her artworks with the Herbarium, strengthening their provenance. Another example is Dianne Emery, who has taught the art of botanical illustration as an employee of the Friends of the RBGV since 1996, and has exhibited in Victoria and interstate. One of Emery’s watercolours is in the Collection; her work is also held by the Geelong Regional Art Gallery. The Botanical Art collection also includes a small number of works by high-profile Australian artists depicting the RBGV or inspired by the RBGV and its activities. Botanical Gardens and the Domain (1927) by acclaimed Australian landscape painter Arthur Streeton (b.1867—d.1943) for example, or more contemporary work by the nationally renowned natural history painter

125 Megan Backhouse, ‘Celia Rosser – aka the Banksia lady – and her life botanic’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 June 2015.

78 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT John Wolseley (b.1938—): Mueller Expedition Base Camp at Bullita East Baines River with Specimens, 1996; Baron von Mueller Commemorative Expedition to the Northern Territory 1996: Past, Present and Future; Life as a Geological Force No: 1; Life as a Geological Force No: 11; Boab with Exhibition and Equipment, Bullita Base Camp.

Figure 91. Watercolour by John Wolseley completed in 1976, titled Boab with Expedition and Equipment, set at Melbourne Gardens (RB A2.L1).

Figure 90. Ink and watercolour illustration of Epacris impressa by Edith Mayfield (Not yet catalogued).

Figure 92. Artwork by Arthur Streeton called Botanical Gardens and the Domain, completed in 1927 (RB A1.SM.B9).

These artworks provide important scientific data in the rich detailing of plants and their features, while simultaneously possessing artistic and aesthetic significance in demonstrating outstanding technical accomplishment. The Botanical Art collection includes work by some of Australia’s finest botanical artists, including works that represent their style and preferred subject matter. Together this work establishes the importance of botanical art even in the age of photography and the fine nuances of colour, scale, texture, and different stages of a lifecycle that can be illustrated.

79 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 7 COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT Research into comparable collections around Australia took place between July and August 2016 (refer to Appendix B for full details). The comparative assessment was based on the ability of ‘like’ holdings to the State Botanical Collection to represent similar themes through key items within each theme, as identified in Section 6. This assessment focused on collections most comparable in size and scope to the SBC, therefore it primarily considers collections of a state and/or national threshold. This section is as comprehensive as possible given project timelines and scope, and the challenges in accessing information from other herbaria, museums and collecting institutions. It uses the herbarium codes CANB (Australian National Herbarium), NSW (National Herbarium of New South Wales), AD (State Herbarium of South Australia), BRI (Queensland Herbarium), PERTH (Western Australian Herbarium), HO (Tasmanian Herbarium), and DNA and NT (Northern Territory Herbarium).

Type specimens While not one of the themes identified in Section 6, Type specimens are an integral component of the SBC and are strongly represented within each of the specimen-related themes considered in this assessment. It was therefore felt important to consider Types as a special grouping in the comparative assessment. The comparative assessment has identified that MEL’s holding of approximately 40,000 Australian and foreign Type specimens is the largest in Australia, and substantially more than other collections. Data from the Global Plants on JSTOR portal indicates BRI holds 8,415 Type specimens, for example, and both CANB and PERTH hold 7,717. NSW holds 7,433 Types, AD holds 3,042, DNA and NT holds a total of 1,511, with HO holding 675 Type specimens (although actual numbers are likely to vary, with NSW, for example in fact holding over 10,000). As the first known collection and recording of that species and the standard against which subsequent collections are compared, Types are not only of considerable value for their historical importance, but also remain essential to current and future research activities and scientific investigations.

Early European exploration of Australia Seven herbaria have been identified in Australia as holding specimens that document the early European exploration of the continent, through collections by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during the Endeavour voyage, by Robert Brown during the Investigator circumnavigation and by Jacques Labillardière. Of these, only NSW surpasses MEL in size and completeness of material collected by Banks and Solander. MEL holds the largest and most complete collection by Robert Brown, including the largest number of Type specimens. Of the four herbaria with material by Labillardière, MEL holds the largest and most complete collection, the other collections being considerably smaller and containing mostly non-Australian material. Through the comparative assessment, the SBC has been identified as one of the largest and most complete collections in Australia documenting this theme. It is the largest and most complete collection of material within Australia by Brown and Labillardière, and is one of the largest by Banks and Solander. Through its item type and breadth, the SBC has a strong capacity to interpret historic themes relating to Australia’s early exploration, similarly to a small number of Australian herbaria and certainly unlike any collecting institutions in Victoria. The most comparable collections to MEL within this theme are NSW and CANB for their representation of the same collectors and expeditions, but only in the case of Banks and Solander to a higher degree than that of MEL. That this material is rare and highly significant historically means that any and all holdings are of considerable value.

Nineteenth-century Australian inland expeditions Seven herbaria within Australia have been identified with specimen material documenting the same nineteenth-century expeditions of inland Australia as the SBC, each ranging in size and

80 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT breadth. Of these, MEL holds larger and more complete collections than those identified for each expedition and individual collectors identified for this theme, with the exception of the Horn and Elder Scientific Expeditions. MEL’s holdings of specimens related to the celebrated expeditions of Ludwig Leichhardt and John McDouall Stuart, the Victorian Exploring Expedition and the North Australian Exploring Expedition, for example, are the strongest in the country. AD holds a larger collection from the Horn and Elder Scientific expeditions than MEL, while NSW holds a larger collection from the Elder Expedition. All of the expeditions that form part of this theme are significant in their own right and, when considered together, tell compelling stories about nineteenth century exploration of Australia. By comparative analysis, the SBC has been identified as the largest and most complete collection of major nineteenth century Australian inland expeditions within Australia. MEL’s specimens are strengthened by their capacity to interpret exploration of each of Australia’s present-day states and territories, which collectively tell significant national stories. The most comparable collections are that of AD and NSW, which hold material on each of the expeditions and collectors that formed the basis of this theme, and in some cases exceeding MEL in their size and completeness for specific expeditions.

Twentieth-century Australian botanical collectors Seven herbaria within Australia have been identified with specimen material collected by selected private Australian collectors during the twentieth-century, specifically Rex Filson, William Nicholls, Richard Bastow, Raleigh Black, Alexander Beauglehole and Ilma Stone. No other herbaria were identified with specimen holdings collected by Neville Walters. MEL far outweighs each of the seven herbaria identified in terms of size and completeness of material by each collector, in the thousands or tens of thousands for those listed, having been exclusive acquisitions in most cases. None of the seven herbaria identified hold material by all of the collectors listed. Through the comparative assessment, the SBC has been identified as the largest and most complete collection of the twentieth century Australian collectors selected under this theme, and the only herbarium comprising collections by Neville Walters. The SBC has a strong capacity for interpreting these individuals and their collections and is a rich representation of private herbaria collections originating from the twentieth century. The most comparable collection is NSW based on its representation of all of the collectors listed (with a number likely to be duplicate specimens sent from MEL, for example, Beauglehole), bar Neville Walters, demonstrating a similar breadth of material to that of MEL.

Nineteenth-century foreign botanical collectors Five herbaria within Australia have been identified with specimen material by foreign collectors dating to the nineteenth century, specifically: Franz Sieber, , John Kirk, Otto Sonder, Joseph Hooker and Odoardo Beccari. No other herbaria in Australia were identified with collections by Johann Preiss, Johann Lehmann, Alexander Wied, Thomas Drummond and Robert Fortune. Of those collectors who are represented elsewhere, their collections did not surpass those of MEL in terms of size or completeness. By comparative analysis, the SBC has been identified as the largest and most complete collection in Australia of foreign botanical material dating from the nineteenth century. In this area, the SBC holds material by some collectors not represented in any other Australian or foreign collections, distinguishing it as a rare example of nineteenth century foreign botanical collecting and international exchange, and highlighting its unique interpretive capacity. The most comparable collection is that of NSW, which comprises material from the same collectors, though it holds a much smaller number of nineteenth-century specimens from Sieber, Kirk, Sonder, Preiss, Hooker and Beccari.

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Documenting and conserving Australia’s changing environment All state and national herbaria contain material that documents Australia’s changing environment, with specimens providing a range of information on time and place that is essential to recording and mapping changes in the environment. Additionally, these herbaria contain specimens that represent near threatened, endangered, vulnerable, critically endangered and extinct examples, and are used to inform and guide future conservation management activities. While this theme is difficult to assess in a comparative sense, the breadth and temporal span of specimens at MEL makes it one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of specimens representing Australia’s known flora. The specimen collections of many other herbaria are primarily focused on their own state or territory, for example those of PERTH, DNA and NT. While MEL’s collection documents plants of Victoria, its collections from other states are also strong. As a result of nineteenth, twentieth and current collecting activities, MEL holds content from across the country, offering particular benefit to researchers by enabling them to examine nation-wide specimens in the one place. MEL’s specimens form a vital resource used by the Australian botanical research community in projects that document and conserve Australia’s changing environment. MEL’s holdings of particular specimens enhance a number of its current Victorian-focused projects, but also make important contributions to the work of researchers from other states and territories, designating it as an important working collection with a national scope.

Documenting Australian and foreign flora in literature Twenty-three libraries, museums and other collecting institutions have been identified as holding material that documents Australian and foreign flora in literature (and many smaller collections that were not examined due to the focus and scope of this assessment). Some collections contain duplicate material to that in the SBC, for example, Joseph Banks’ Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage Round the World in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768—71 (1900) is held by the State Library of Victoria, the Research Library of the Powerhouse Museum, The University of Melbourne, the State Library of NSW, the Australian Museum, the CSIRO Black Mountain Library, and a number of other collections. One of the earliest publications in the SBC, Leonhard Fuchs’ De historia stirpium commentarii (1842), can also be found in the State Library of NSW and the Library of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide. However, from the small number of titles searched for, particularly those of foreign authors and subject matter, some were not found in other collections in Australia, such as J. Edwards’ Edwards’ Herbal (1770), George Oeder’s Icones Plantarum Sponte Nascentium in Regnis Daniae et Norvegiae (1766—1823), and J. Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck’s Monographia generum aloes et mesembryanthemi (1836—1863). Through comparative assessment, the SBC has been identified as one of the largest and most complete collections in Australia of rare books and published material, documenting both indigenous and foreign botanical history and research. It is one of few other examples in Australia of a herbarium and library operating out of the same premises, complementing one another in their collecting for the same scientific research purposes. The comparative assessment reveals that most comparable collections are the Library of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and the Queensland Herbarium Library. Both have good holdings of journals and nineteenth-century material, although neither has the depth of the SBC or the date range that it covers.

Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Twelve libraries, museums and other collecting institutions within Australia have been identified with holdings relating to the history and operations of the RBGV, in particular; medals awarded to Mueller, correspondence and publications authored by Mueller, as well as photographs, plans and maps of the Melbourne Gardens. No other library has been identified that holds material by other Directors/Chief Botanists of the RBGV, Mueller’s personal

82 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT effects, nor reports on the Herbarium or Melbourne Gardens. Those collections identified are relatively small compared to that of the SBC, containing between 1 and 150 items, and comprising mostly material authored by Mueller or about the Melbourne Gardens that was widely published. Through comparative assessment, the SBC has been identified as the largest and most complete collection of material within Australia documenting the history and operations of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and Melbourne Gardens. It has the unique capacity to interpret the organisation’s history through its expansive collections of material relating not only to Mueller, but other prominent members of staff over 160 years of operations that are not found elsewhere in Australia. It contains extensive material that represents both the professional and private life of Mueller, a noted figure in the history of botany within Australia and internationally for his prolific collecting, naming and publishing. Its organisation-generated archival records relating to the Melbourne Gardens have the ability to document change in this designed landscape unlike any other collection, as well as interpret its context by the close tangible relationship between the Herbarium and Melbourne Gardens. The most comparable collections to that of the SBC are the State Library of Victoria, Museum Victoria and the National Library of Australia. While none of these collections cover the same depth and breadth of the RBGV’s operations as the SBC, they each hold collections of a similar size and composition, encompassing publications and correspondence by Mueller, his awards, as well as photographs, maps and plans of the Melbourne Gardens. None of these other holdings are situated within the same organisational context in which they were created, as is the case for the SBC.

Representing Australian flora in art Thirteen libraries, museums and other collecting institutions within Australia have been identified as holding botanical art collections that include one or more of the artists identified under this theme. Through comparative assessment, the SBC has been identified as one of the largest collections in Australia of botanical paintings, illustrations and prints, extending from the nineteenth century up to the present. The comparative assessment reveals that a number of institutions hold more works of a single artist. For example, the State Library of Victoria’s collection of works by Betty Conabere is particularly strong, the Museum of Art and the Celia Rosser Gallery have the largest collections of Celia Rosser’s work, the National Gallery of Victoria has more artwork by Margaret Stones, and the National Library of Australia together with the Library of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide hold more of Marian Ellis Rowan’s work. However, it is clear that in its overall size, in its depth and breadth, in the number of artists represented and the date range of their work, that the SBC is especially comprehensive. It is the largest known single collection of botanical art in Australia.

83 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 8 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT The following Statement of Significance provides a summary of the values and meanings of the State Botanical Collection, and is informed by the information and research assembled through following the significance assessment methodology outlined in Significance 2.0: A Guide to Assessing the Significance of Collections. The assessment of the SBC is based on the four primary criteria (historic, artistic or aesthetic, scientific or research potential, and social or spiritual) and the four comparative criteria (strong provenance, contains rare, unique or representative material, is in good condition and demonstrates interpretive potential), and while all criteria are assessed in making this assessment, not all need be relevant to the collection to justify its significance. This assessment also considers the level of significance, known as a threshold. To be assessed as holding national level significance, an item or collection should be important to Australia as a nation, for example, be associated with an event, person, place or activity important to the natural or cultural history of Australia, or comprise material with the potential to yield information that will contribute to our understanding of Australia’s natural or cultural history. Items or collections of international significance have impact beyond the borders of a nation state, and ideally beyond a single global region.

8.1 Analysis 8.1.1 Primary criteria assessment Historic significance Items in the State Botanical Collection hold important links to the history of global exploration particularly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Specimens collected by Thomas Drummond on Captain John Franklin’s second expedition to the Arctic, John Kirk and C.J. Meller on David Livingstone’s Zambesi expedition, Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied in Brazil, and Franz Wilhelm Sieber in Europe, the Middle East, southern Africa and Australia, for example, provide a window into the global expansion of the period and the desire for increasing knowledge of new lands and their plant life. Other items hold immense value through their ability to tell the story of the European discovery, mapping and colonisation of Australia. These are associated with international figures in botany and exploration including Robert Brown (botanist on Matthew Flinders’ circumnavigation of Australia) and Jacques Labillardière (naturalist on a voyage in search of the missing La Pérouse expedition). The SBC contains specimens collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander (botanists aboard Captain James Cook’s Endeavour) at Botany Bay, during one of Australia’s best-known expeditions – with the abundant plant life they found there influencing decisions to establish the Botany Bay British penal colony in 1788 and the first European settlement of Australia. The rich nineteenth-century collection of specimens from Australian inland expeditions illuminates the search for not only new kinds of plants but for mineral resources, pastoral land, water sources, and a desire to explore and map the unknown interior of the continent. Some of the expeditions from which specimens came hold an important place in Australian history and folklore, perhaps most notably those of Ludwig Leichhardt (who disappeared in 1848 and was never recovered) and Burke and Wills’ tragic Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860—1861. Others are important for collecting specimens that were not recorded again for decades, or which have not been found again in that area and are now presumed extinct. Additionally, a number of inland expeditions were directly influenced by Ferdinand Mueller, arguably Australia’s best known and most influential botanist of the nineteenth century, who himself undertook expeditions to search for, document and name new species, and to publish his discoveries. In doing so, Mueller established his place as the foremost botanist in Australia, promoting and disseminating knowledge of Australian plants to the world, and in turn, enhancing the profile of the Herbarium collection through his work.

84 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Items in the SBC trace the early days of botany in Australia in the nineteenth century, as well as Mueller’s essential role in its growth, and allow exploration into the shifting focus of botanical sciences and knowledge into the twenty-first century. The SBC is especially rich in Types, specimens that are the first known collection and recording of a particular species, and therefore critical to our understanding of the earliest official recordings of Australian plants. These are important as the standard against which subsequent collections are compared. Others form part of a group that seeks to document an entire genus or species. Many of these are associated with important supporting material from their collectors and publications in which they were first named and described, or with botanical illustration which sought to capture the nuances of appearance in minute detail with scientific accuracy. The SBC records the history and development of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the National Herbarium of Victoria, each among the earliest of their kind in Australia. With its rich collection built through the efforts and influence of Ferdinand Mueller over the second half of the nineteenth century, the Herbarium grew to one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and held a position of high regard globally. Mueller’s extensive writing (both published and unpublished) provides invaluable access to the processes behind the Herbarium’s foundation and expansion. This is continued through the collections of papers of subsequent directors and staff, supporting research into the shifting concerns and roles of the Herbarium and its value to the community. Artistic or aesthetic significance Many items in the State Botanical Collection, especially the Botanical Art collection though also the rare books, hold outstanding artistic and aesthetic value. The SBC includes one of the earliest known, scientifically accurate examples of international botanical illustration in Leonhard Fuchs’ De historia stirpium commentarii, published in 1542. This landmark work depicts more than 500 plants in its hand-coloured woodcut illustrations, changing the way plant species could be accurately identified despite the use of different names by various authors at that time. Publications of some of the earliest attempts to illustrate Australian plants are represented. These include Ferdinand Bauer and Robert Brown’s Illustrationes Florae Novae Hollandiae, published in 1813. Based on Bauer’s watercolours drawn while on Flinders’ circumnavigation of Australia in 1801—1805, the artist then engraved his illustrations onto copper plates between 1806 and 1813 for publication. Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage Round the World in H.M.S. Endeavour in 1768—71 (3 volumes), although published more than a century after the voyage in 1900, was the first publication of the botany recorded on Cook’s infamous voyage and features plates from the original botanical drawings of Sydney Parkinson. The Botanical Art collection comprises one of the richest and largest collections of botanical paintings, illustrations and prints in Australia. Nineteenth-century artworks are primarily associated with Ferdinand Mueller’s work in recording Australian plants. It also contains work by Australia’s best known botanical artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including Marian Ellis Rowan, Stan Kelly, Margaret Stones, Elizabeth (Betty) Conabere and Celia Rosser. Together with Anita Barley and Mali Moir, appointed as botanical illustrators by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and the National Herbarium of Victoria in 1977 and 1992 respectively, the work of these artists highlights the importance of botanical art in the age of photography. Botanical art continues to flourish and works in the SBC exhibit a high degree of craftsmanship and technical excellence. Indeed, artworks are only acquired if they meet rigorous standards of scientific accuracy in their depiction. Yet they are also works of great aesthetic quality, capturing colour, texture and scale in the finest detail, sometimes combining the different stages of a plant’s lifecycle (its buds, flowers, fruit, seeds and foliage) into a single composition. Botanical art in the SBC therefore serves dual functions: to inform botanists and scientists by imparting knowledge of the plants they depict, while revealing their beauty.

85 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Research or scientific significance The State Botanical Collection holds both research and scientific significance to an outstanding degree. The specimens form part of a working scientific collection and are used extensively today by botanists and scientists in Australia and worldwide. The management of specimens enhances their research potential – they are well-documented with high quality associated data and, most importantly, are made accessible to researchers in many ways. The breadth and depth of the Specimen Collection, including extensive nineteenth-century and international material, and a comprehensive collection of Victorian flora, make the specimens an essential resource that documents biodiversity at local, state, national and international levels. The especially rich Type specimens, both Australian and foreign, and the largest in the country are essential material against which other collections are compared, enabling the accurate identification of plants. The Collection holds great potential for future scientific inquiry. It is important material that enables informed decision-making in managing conservation challenges in the environment, and will continue to play an important role in conservation and in the continually evolving area of biodiversity study into the future. Specimens provide a temporal point in order to track and model climate variability and changes occurring in the environment over time. For example, historical specimens and contemporary collections together provide substantial material evidence on how temperature variation causes shifts in distribution (i.e. whether or not plants occur in the same geographic area), changing composition, and flowering time, and will continue to shed light on variations. They inform current and ongoing investigations into shifting plant biodiversity with expanding urbanisation, the documentation of endangered or destroyed plant habitats, and assist in tracking the movement of invasive species. Specimens hold evidence of patterns that occurred in the past, which instil them with the potential to inform research into alterations in the present and future. For this reason, field collecting remains an essential activity into the twenty-first century. Contemporary collecting by botanists is greatly enhanced by the efforts of private collectors and field naturalists, from whom many important twentieth-century collections were obtained. Those by Alexander Beauglehole and Ilma Grace Stone, for example, are immensely rich in their particular focus (Beauglehole’s substantial collection of Victorian plants and Stone’s concentration on mosses in Victoria and Queensland) and are further enriched by their comprehensive associated collecting data, making them invaluable scientific resources. Material in the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection augments the research potential of specimens, underpinning the work of botanists, scientists, curators, and others. Providing wide-ranging primary and secondary sources on plant taxonomy and systematics, this Collection also has the potential to be mined for diverse areas of study that will continue to contribute to our understanding of the historical and cultural contexts in which botany has played a part. Social or spiritual significance The State Botanical Collection holds social significance at a local level through the way in which certain items inspire and are remembered by a contemporary group in the present. This is evident in material relating to the ill-fated but iconic Burke and Wills’ Victorian Exploring Expedition, with its enduring hold on the public’s imagination. Motivated by the specimens collected by the Expedition’s botanist Hermann Beckler around Menindee, artists associated with the Beckler’s Botanical Bounty Project made their sixth annual trip to the area in 2015. To date, 26 artists have participated in the project, 93 paintings have been made, and 79 specimens have been lodged in the Herbarium. Given that this association appears to be isolated to a single group, collection component and location, the threshold of social significance has been defined as local.

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8.1.2 Comparative criteria assessment Provenance Comprehensive documentation is an essential part of all acquisitions into the State Botanical Collection. Wherever possible specimen records include information ranging from the collector, date and place, its habitat, its habit (i.e. spreading), the colour of its flowers (lost when specimens are dried), abundance, and the phenology (the timing of flowers and seeding). This data is crucial to the value of specimens and greatly enhances how they can be used. Provenance is therefore particularly strong for specimens. Their well-documented context and precise location enhances research potential, enabling comparison. The majority of items in the Specimen Collection were generated by the organisation itself, acquired directly from the collector, or as part of programs of exchange, demonstrating a well-documented chain of ownership. Much of the material held in the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection is similarly well- provenanced, given its large composition of published works. Some items have come directly from the person who created them, for example the papers, diaries and collecting notes of renowned botanists and staff at the National Herbarium of Victoria, botanical artists and photographers whose work is acquired through donation or purchase, and plans, maps and reports generated through the development of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Rarity or representativeness Items in the State Botanical Collection are both rare and representative. The SBC includes specimens of Australian species that are now critically endangered or presumed to be extinct. As such, they are an essential record of where plants once grew, and their appearance and characteristics at the time of their collection. It furthermore holds rare foreign material that is recognised as essential risk mitigation against potential losses from herbaria in other countries, and critical to global research projects. The Specimen Collection is also representative in its holdings of the world’s most comprehensive collection of the plants endemic to Victoria over a period of time (and since the earliest collections in the nineteenth century), together with rich nineteenth-century collections from across the country. These representative collections continue to grow through ongoing and targeted field work, reinforcing its status as a working collection. The Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection furthermore contains items that are both rare or unique, and representative. Rare material is found in a range of primary source material that cannot be obtained elsewhere, clearly demonstrated in its Archival holdings. In addition, its Botanical Art collection contains Australia’s largest collection of original works of botanical art, yet this collection of unique works is also representative in that it illustrates the crucial place of art to the acquisition of botanical knowledge, and the number of artists who have contributed to this area. Condition or completeness Overall, the items comprising the State Botanical Collection are in good condition. Wherever possible, high standards of collection care and storage exist. An ongoing program of rehousing specimens in archival material is in progress, and all newly collected specimens are secured to acid-free card and placed in archival folders. The rarest, most fragile and most valuable material in the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection is stored in a temperature, humidity and light controlled room, with unframed artworks in archival boxes; though further preservation measures are required for specific items within this group. A rigorous Integrated Pest Management program is in place, and is recognised as a priority in collection care given the SBC’s primary material types. However, strict temperature and humidity controls are unable to be implemented in the majority of the Herbarium building, and a critical shortage of space has resulted in some items being stored below best practice standards. Both of these factors will increasingly impact the SBC into the future, growing in severity, unless a larger, purpose-built space with a stable environment can be secured.

87 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Interpretive capacity The State Botanical Collection has immense interpretative capacity, based on the wide range of thematic content and item types that it covers. A number of themes from the Australian Historic Themes Framework run strongly throughout specific items in the SBC and the Collection as a whole, including the ways in which it traces the evolution of the Australian environment, illustrates the peopling of Australia, demonstrates the development of local, regional and national economies, for its role in governing, particularly in conserving Australia’s heritage, and in developing Australia’s cultural life. The SBC holds great potential to tell stories of national importance. Unlike many Australian herbaria, the SBC was established in conjunction with a Botanic Garden, and through that relationship, the Collection has the unique ability to interpret aspects of the place and its context.

8.3 Statement of Significance This assessment identifies the State Botanical Collection as being of historic, artistic and aesthetic, scientific and research and social significance. The SBC is of both scientific and research significance to botanists and scientists at international, national and state level. It is used for diverse research projects related to botany, biodiversity, conservation and the environment. It contains data and material that will increase in importance as the scientific community traces shifts in distribution, composition and flowering due to a warming climate, demonstrating the value of the Collection to scientific investigations into the future. Furthermore, as the most Type-rich collection in Australia, the SBC plays a vital role in the identification of Australian and foreign specimens, with Types the first specimen to bear a new scientific name and a permanent reference for that species. For its links to voyages of exploration and the mapping of new lands, the SBC is of historic significance at an international and national level. From these voyages the rich, exotic and hitherto unseen plant life of Australia (and many other countries) first reached Europe, and the European settlement of Australia was promoted. Its historic significance is further evident at a national level in its holdings of specimens and related literature from a number of nineteenth- century Australian inland expeditions to explore the unknown centre of the continent. These inland expeditions captured the public imagination, and in recording swathes of unmapped country and the plants found there, they significantly increased European knowledge of Australia and how it could be settled. The SBC is also historically significant at a national level through its development by, and association with, Ferdinand Mueller. Australia’s most prominent nineteenth-century botanist and recognised internationally for his work on describing Australian flora, Mueller’s work shifted the study of the nation’s plants from Europe to Australia. Mueller discovered and named thousands of species, and his strong networks of collectors in Australia and around the globe enabled him to build the pre-eminent collection in Australia at the Herbarium. His own writing together with the material he considered essential for his research form a strong foundation for the Library and Archive, and in publishing his findings he promoted Australian plant life to the world. Aesthetic and artistic significance is evident at a national level in the original works of botanical art which depict colour, texture and different phases of a plant’s lifecycle in minute detail. Created by some of Australia’s best-known botanical artists, they are not only important scientific records but objects of great beauty. The SBC is of social significance at a local level through its integral links with historical figures who remain a source of inspiration to contemporary groups. This is particularly evident in a project that recreates in the current day the specimen collecting of Hermann Beckler, botanist on the Burke and Wills’ Victoria Exploring Expedition. The SBC is strengthened by evidence of its provenance, rarity/representativeness, good condition/completeness and high interpretative capacity which are apparent throughout the Collection. The provenance of the Collection is particularly strong, much of its material

88 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT having been created by the organisation itself, or acquired in a manner that is well- documented. When considering the rarity of some material and the representativeness of other material in a national context, together with its intactness and good condition, the SBC’s research potential is significantly enhanced, leading to a high interpretive potential. Its interpretive capacity is increased further still by the long and continuing tangible relationship between the Herbarium and the Melbourne Gardens, which have been linked geographically and operationally for over 160 years, providing unique opportunities to interpret aspects of the place and the Collection in their context.

89 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION 9 RECOMMENDATIONS

9.1 Recommendations Recommendations set out in this section have been made by the consultants based on their assessment of the SBC’s significance and current condition, as well as any issues and opportunities it presents, through their own observations and discussions with collection management staff and the Project Working Group. The recommendations are designed to guide future management of, and interactions with, the SBC. From the policy documents, reports and discussions with Herbarium staff, it is acknowledged that well-informed plans for the future of the Collection are currently in place. It is also acknowledged that several of these recommendations would require additional staffing (for example, a curator of exhibitions and a public programs officer) and resources to effectively manage or facilitate them, which may not be forthcoming in the short term. The following recommendations confirm and support the priorities recognised and articulated by the RBGV: 1. Improve collection storage facilities  Continue to investigate options for constructing a new purpose-built facility or a significant extension to the current Herbarium building, as identified in the 2015 Building Master Plan  Ensure significant links with the Melbourne Gardens site are maintained in any future building plans  Construct a new purpose-built facility or a significant extension to the current Herbarium building that accommodates the natural growth of the Collection into the future. 2. Continue to support access to the Collection for research purposes  Continue curating, databasing and cataloguing Collection items, including foreign items, using best practice systems and standards currently in use  Investigate the possibility of increasing staffing levels to address the significant backlog of un-databased/un-catalogued items, in order to improve the organisation’s knowledge of its own Collection and therefore its ability to respond to research enquiries. 3. Improve public awareness of and access to the Collection  Draw on primary source material held in the Specimen and Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collections to tell compelling stories  Investigate the potential for a dedicated public interface in future planning for a new or expanded Herbarium facility, in order to improve physical access to appropriate parts of the Collection  Develop an interpretation strategy as part of future planning for a new or expanded Herbarium facility, including exhibitions and other forms of public programming  Consider facilitating public access to the Library as a means of raising the profile of the SBC and improving physical accessibility  Continue to develop new ways of engaging with the public and sharing Collection information through digitisation  Build upon current education programs for primary, secondary and tertiary students by enabling access to appropriate parts of the Collection as a valuable educational resource. 4. Continue to curate the Collection according to best practice standards  Continue to curate and house specimens using archival materials

90 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT  Implement buffering of framed artworks by spacing with archival corrugated card or foam- core to reduce the risk of damage  Continue rigorous Integrated Pest Management program and Collection monitoring. 5. Obtain a Preservation Needs Assessment of the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection  Provide further protection for rare books through individual archival boxing of the most fragile items, as determined by a Preservation Needs Assessment  Implement conservation practices for improvement in future management of the collection, as determined by a Preservation Needs Assessment.

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9.2 Action plan This action plan places the recommendations in Section 9.1 against three priority areas, each with their own timeframe:  Short-term (one to two years)  Medium-term (between two to four years)  Long-term (beyond four years)  ‘Ongoing’ signifies practices already in place that should be continued, or those that are applicable in future planning for the Herbarium.

Action Priority Estimated cost Comments

Continue to investigate options for Short-term - This recommendation should be, and is, considered the foremost priority by the constructing a new purpose-built RBGV as storage space is now beyond capacity and new acquisitions, by necessity, facility or a significant extension to are unable to be stored according to best practice standards. the current Herbarium building A Building Master Plan, developed in 2015, has been prepared and fully discusses the options available, with a preference to build a new facility within the RBGV in order to maintain the significant link between the Gardens and the Herbarium. Continue rigorous IPM program Ongoing - IPM and general collection monitoring has long been recognised as vital to the and collection monitoring preservation of the SBC, as a collection made up of vulnerable natural materials, and should be maintained as a priority. Continue to mount specimens using Ongoing - The ongoing mounting of specimens, in particular the foreign collection offers archival materials considerable benefit to the SBC, ensuring specimens are housed in archival materials that will assist in preservation and maintaining access into the future. Continue databasing and Ongoing - There is currently a large amount of un-catalogued/un-databased material held by cataloguing collection items to best the SBC, particularly foreign items in the Specimen Collection. This interferes with practice standards the organisation’s ability to respond to research enquiries and to develop knowledge of its own collection. Current staffing levels impact the timeframe in which this can be achieved, and designating additional staff would be essential to work through the steps of backlog sorting, mounting, databasing and digitisation in order to curate the whole Collection in a manner that keeps up with the rate of acquisitions.

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Action Priority Estimated cost Comments

Draw on primary source material Ongoing - Collection themes set out in Section 6 of this report demonstrate the interaction held in the Specimen and Library, between the two components of the SBC and the ways in which this enhances the Archive and Botanical Art significance of the Collection as a whole. Future interpretation programs should Collections to tell compelling stories draw on both components of the Collection to highlight this connection, and realise about the SBC its full potential to tell important and compelling stories relevant to a range of communities. Continue to develop new ways of Ongoing - The significance of the SBC is enhanced by its accessibility in both physical and engaging with the public and digital forms. Collection staff should continue to develop new ways of engaging sharing Collection information with the public and sharing information, in a way that acknowledges the different needs of individuals throughout their lifespan. Construct a new purpose-built Short-term $56.5 million A new purpose-built facility or a significant extension to the current Herbarium facility or a significant extension to building should accommodate the natural growth of the Collection into the future, the current Herbarium building and maintain its significant links with the Melbourne Gardens’ site. A purpose-built facility is also a rare opportunity to expand upon the Herbarium’s limited capabilities for public visitation and access, and so considerations for the new facility should include:  Development of an interpretation strategy to inform the design of areas to be used for public programming, including but not limited to exhibitions  A dedicated space for public access to the Library as a means of raising the profile of the SBC and realising its research potential. Obtain a Preservation Needs Short-term $5,000 Preservation Needs Assessments are undertaken by conservators and consider the Assessment of the Library, Archive physical condition of a collection, its housing and storage facilities, in order to and Botanical Art Collection recommend a prioritised conservation program. The Library in particular contains a range of significant items in need of conservation treatment. *Funding for these assessments is available from the National Library of Australia through the Community Heritage Grants program. Provide further protection for rare Short-term $1,000-$2,000 Individual boxing of rare books will provide further protection for the most fragile books items and support continued handling into the future. Items most in need of this conservation treatment should be prioritised based on the outcomes of a Preservation Needs Assessment. This estimate covers the cost of materials and not the cost of overseeing the project. Implement buffering of framed Short-term $500-$1,000 The storage of framed artworks within the Botanical Art collection could be further

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Action Priority Estimated cost Comments artworks improved by using archival corrugated board or foam-core as a spacer between framed artworks to prevent damage to frames occurring. Build upon current education Medium-term - The SBC has outstanding potential for education in a range of subject areas, which programs that provide access to is enhanced by the interconnectivity of the two aspects of the Collection. For appropriate parts of the Collection instance, education programs could explore its historical narratives, artistic as a valuable educational resource excellence and its scientific research potential. Current education programs should be further targeted to meet curriculum needs at a primary, secondary and tertiary level, and accommodate use within and outside of the Herbarium (for example, through deliverable in-classroom activities), and in doing so contribute to student education in a meaningful way. Implement conservation practices Medium-term/ - The Preservation Needs Assessment will set out a conservation program with for improvement in future Ongoing specific priority areas, which should be implemented as recommended to maintain management of the Library, Archive preservation of the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection as an invaluable and Botanical Art Collection, as resource. determined by a Preservation Needs Assessment

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10 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Assessment Frameworks Australian Heritage Commission, Australian Historic Themes Framework, 1998: https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/e5e08ce4-5d6e-421d-8cba- 1f76a16519e8/files/australian-historic-themes-framework.pdf Australian Heritage Commission, Australian Historic Themes: A Framework for Use in Heritage Assessment and Management, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2001: https://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/ahc/publications/australian-historic-themes Roslyn Russell and Kylie Winkworth, Significance 2.0: A Guide to Assessing the Significance of Collections, Collections Council of Australia, Adelaide, 2009.

Policy Documents Bates Smart, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens Building Master Plan, 2016. Council Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens, National Strategy and Action Plan for the Role of Australia’s Botanic Gardens in Adapting to Climate Change, Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens, Canberra, 2008. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Plant Sciences and Biodiversity Division, Master Plan 2016 to 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Library Collection Development Policy, 2015. Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991, Version No. 025, incorporating amendments as at 1 March 2015.

Books Barker, R.M. and W.R. Barker, ‘Botanical contributions overlooked: the role and recognition of collectors, horticulturalists, explorers and others in the early documentation of the Australian flora, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc, South Yarra, 1990, pp. 37—85. Carr, D.J. and S.G.M. Carr, People and Plants in Australia, Academic Press, Sydney, 1981. Cohn, Helen M., [History of the National Herbarium of Victoria], State Botanical Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, unpublished c. 2009—2012. Home, R.W., A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora and J.H. Voight (eds.), Regardfully Yours: Selected Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, Volume 1: 1840—1859, Peter Lang, Bern, 1998. Home, R.W., A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora and J.H. Voight (eds.), Regardfully Yours: Selected Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, Volume 2: 1860—1875, Peter Lang, Bern, 2002. Huisman, J. M., Marine Plants of Australia, University of Western Australia Press, Perth, 2000. Isely, Duane, One Hundred and One Botanists, Iowa State University, Iowa, 1994. Lindley, John and Sir Joseph Paxton, Paxton’s Flower Garden, vol. 1, Bradbury and Evans, London, 1853. Morton, A.G., History of Botanical Science: An Account of the Development of Botany from Ancient Times to the Present Day, Academic Press, London, 1981. Mueller, Ferdinand, First General Report of the Government Botanist on the Vegetation of the Colony, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1853. Musgrave, Toby, Chris Gardner and Will Musgrave, The Plant Hunters: Two Hundred Years of Adventure and Discovery Around the World, Ward Lock, London, 1998.

95 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Olsen, Penny, Collecting Ladies: Ferdinand Von Mueller and Women Botanical Artists, NLA Publishing, Canberra, 2013. Short, P.S., ‘Politics and the purchase of private herbaria’, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc, South Yarra, 1990, pp. 5—12. Short, Philip, The Pursuit of Plants: Experiences of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Plant Collectors, University of Western Australia Press, Crawley, 2003. Spencer, Sir B and W.A. Horn, Report on the work of the Horn Scientific Expedition to Central Australia, Mullen & Slade, Melbourne, 1896. Willis, J.H., ‘Melbourne: a focal point for early botanical activity’, in P.S. Short (ed.), History of Systematic Botany in Australasia, Australian Systematic Botany Society Inc, South Yarra, 1990, pp. 1—3.

Journal and Newspaper Articles ‘Domestic Intelligence’, Argus, 31 October 1853, p. 5. ‘Leichhardt’s Expedition’, Sydney Morning Herald, 4 April 1846, p. 2. Backhouse, Megan, ‘Celia Rosser – aka the Banksia lady – and her life botanic’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 June 2015: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celia-rosser--aka-the- banksia-lady--and-her-life-botanic-20150529-ghcaod.html Calisher, Charles H., ‘Taxonomy: What’s in a name? Doesn’t a rose by any other name smell as sweet?’, Croatian Medical Journal, vol. 48, no. 2, 2007, pp. 268-270. Cohn, Helen M., ‘150 years: the National Herbarium of Victoria, 1853-2003’, Muelleria, vol. 17, 2003, pp. 3—14. Culley, Theresa M., ‘Why vouchers matter in botanical research’, Applications in Plant Sciences 1 (11), 2013, p. 1—5. Foreman, Don, Helen Cohn, Mary Gregory and Alwynne Fairweather, ‘The Botanical Art Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne’, Botanic Magazine, vol. 7, May 1997, pp. 61—63. Gallagher, C.L. and P.L.R. de Moraes, ‘Hidden treasures: Brazilian plants collected by Prince Maximilian zu Wied held in the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL)’, Muelleria, vol. 32, 2014, pp. 58—71. Hopper, Stephen D., ‘From Botany Bay to Breathing Planet: an Australian perspective on plant diversity and global sustainability’, Pacific Conservation Biology, vol. 19, 2013, pp. 356—365. Maroske, Sara, ‘Memories of Mueller’, Botanic Magazine, vol. 7, May 1997, pp. 8—13. Maroske, Sara, ‘Ferdinand Mueller Anniversary’, Muelleria, vol. 8, no. 3, 1995, pp. 395—398. Maroske, Sara, ‘Ferdinand Mueller’s Female Collectors and the History of Australian Botany’, Muelleria, vol. 32, 2014, pp. 72—91. Parnell, John A.N., H. Bryan S. Womersley, Doris Sinkora, Alison Vaughan and John M. Huisman, ‘W. H. Harvey’s Australian Travelling Sets of Algae in the Herbarium of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL), Australia’, Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. 110B, no. 2 (September 2010), pp. 119— 161. Pearson, A.A., ‘Cooke’s Illustrations of British Fungi’, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, vol. 20, no. 1, 1935, pp. 33-95. Wen, Jun, Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond, Marc S. Appelhans, Laurence J. Dorr and Vicki A. Funk, ‘Collections-based systematics: Opportunities and outlook for 2050’, Journal of Systematics and Evolution, vol. 53, iss. 6, November 2015, pp. 477—488.

96 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT Ellis, John, letter to Linnaeus dated 16 July 1771, A Selection of the Correspondence of Linnaeus, and Other Naturalists: From the Original Manuscripts, James Edward Smith (ed.), 1821, vol. 1, p. 263. ‘Collecting bottle used by Banks and Solander’, Illustrated Sydney News, 18 February 1871, p. 12.

Webpages Alderman, Arthur Richard, ‘Tate, Ralph (1840–1901)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1976: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/tate-ralph-4688/text7759 Australia’s Virtual Herbarium: http://avh.chah.org.au/ Australian Broadcasting Commission, ‘Gardening Australia Factsheet: William Dampier’, 10 March 2000: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s113589.htm Australian Nation Herbarium, ‘Beckler, Hermann (1828—1914)’, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Australian National Herbarium Biographical Notes, 2013: https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/beckler-herman.html Australian National Herbarium, ‘Dietrich, Konkordia Amalie (nee Nelle) (1821—1891)’, Council Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Australian National Herbarium Biographical Notes, 2014: https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/dietrich-amalie.html Australian National Herbarium and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, ‘Information about Australia’s Flora: Australian Botanical History’, 24 December 2015: https://www.anbg.gov.au/botanical-history/botanical-discovery.html Boulger, George Simonds, ‘Bentley, Robert (1821-1893)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 1901: http://www.oxforddnb.com/ Boulger, George Simonds, ‘Trimen, Henry (1843-1896)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 1899: http://www.oxforddnb.com/ Burbidge, Nancy Tyson, ‘Brown, Robert (1773–1858)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1966: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brown-robert-1835/text2113 Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria: http://www.chah.gov.au/resources/index.html Erdos, Renee, ‘Leichhardt, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig (1813–1848)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1967: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leichhardt-friedrich-wilhelm-ludwig-2347 Fitzpatrick, Kathleen, ‘Burke, Robert O'Hara (1821–1861)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published in 1969: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/burke-robert-ohara-3116/text4633 Gilbert, Lionel Arthur, ‘Banks, Sir Joseph (1743–1820)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1966: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/banks-sir-joseph-1737/text1917 Gilbert, L.A., ‘Dietrich, Amelie (1821—1891)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1972: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dietrich-amalie-3412 Global Plants on JSTOR: https://plants.jstor.org/ McConnell, Anita, ‘Crisp, Sir Frank, first baronet (1843–1919)’, in Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University, originally published 2004: http://www.oxforddnb.com/ Morris, Deirdre, ‘Mueller, Sir Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von (1825—1896)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1974: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mueller-sir-ferdinand-jakob-heinrich-von- 4266

97 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION Morris, Deirdre, ‘Stuart, John McDouall (1815–1866)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published 1976: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stuart-john-mcdouall-4662/text7707 Rose, Sarah, ‘The Great British Tea Heist’, Smithsonian, 9 March 2010: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-british-tea-heist-9866709/?no-ist Mountain Invasion Research Network: http://www.mountaininvasions.org/ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2016: http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/research-data/publications/curtiss-botanical- magazine Royal Geographical Society of South Australia, ‘Exploration’, no date: http://www.rgssa.org.au/Exploration.htm South Australia Memory, ‘Taking it to the Edge: Exploration in South Australia’, State Library of South Australia, 2007: http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=214 The Linnean Society of London, The Society, The Linnean Society of London, 2016: https://www.linnean.org/the-society Trundle, Gwen, ‘Landsborough, William (1825–1886)’, in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, originally published in 1974: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/landsborough-william-3984/text6299.

98 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT 11 GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS

Family A group of one or more genera with features or ancestry (or both) in common; ranked between order and genus. Genus A group of one or more species with features or ancestry (or both) in common; ranked between family and species in the nomenclatural hierarchy. Habit A plant’s general external appearance, such as its size and shape. Habitat The place where a plant grows and the environmental conditions. Indigenous Native to a particular area. Nomenclature The formal, scientific naming of plants, algae and fungi. Phenology The timing of seasonal phenomena, such as flowering, leaf emergence, fruit ripening and leaf fall. Species A group sharing common features or ancestry (or both); the basic unit of classification and the category of taxa of the lowest principal rank in the nomenclatural hierarchy. Taxon A classificatory group of any rank, e.g. a family, genus, species Taxonomy The principles and practice of classification. Type The specimen to which a name is permanently attached, and which defines the characteristics of the species.

99 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION APPENDIX A: RECORD OF CONSULTATION AND RESEARCH The basis of comparative research for this assessment is articulated in Section 7 of this report, and the table below provides a record of consultation made by the consultants to identify comparative material to the Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection. Contact with comparable Australian libraries and galleries was made by the consultants due to this data typically not having a strong online presence. Those institutions that did not respond to the consultants’ enquiries within the timeframes of this assessment have not been included. The comparative research into similar Australian specimen collections was achieved through the Australia’s Virtual Herbarium online database, and so contact with individual herbaria to determine collection numbers was not required. The consultants acknowledge that databasing of collections is an ongoing process, and so the numbers set out in Appendix B may continue to change into the future.

Dates Organisation Purpose

17/08/16 Daniel Solander Library, NSW Comparative Assessment, collection theme 13/09/16 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Queensland Herbarium Library, QLD Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Library of the Australia National Botanic Comparative Assessment, collection theme 13/09/16 Gardens, ACT 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Tasmanian Herbarium Library, TAS Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Northern Territory Herbarium Library, NT Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Western Australia Herbarium Library, WA Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 CSIRO Black Mountain Library, ACT Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 23/08/16 Art Gallery of Ballarat, VIC Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8. 24/08/16 University of Melbourne Herbarium, VIC Comparative Assessment, collection theme 13/09/16 6, 7 and 8. 24/08/16 Library of Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, SA Comparative Assessment, collection theme 6, 7 and 8.

100 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

APPENDIX B: COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT RESEARCH DATA Specimen Collection

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment

VICTORIA

Museum Victoria N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

NEW SOUTH WALES

National Herbarium of Joseph Banks (and Daniel Hermann Beckler (Burke Rex Bertram Filson: 399 Franz Wilhelm Sieber: 217 Of the 712,598 records on New South Wales (NSW) Solander; Captain Cooks’ and Wills’ Victorian William H. Nicholls: 107 John Kirk (Livingstone Australia’s Virtual Endeavour): 815 specimens Exploring Expedition): 1 Herbarium, 9,634 are near Richard Austin Bastow: 231 expeditions): 9 threatened; 9,587 Daniel Solander (and Ludwig Leichhardt Otto Wilhelm Sonder: 1; Raleigh Black: 165 endangered; 5,759 Joseph Banks; Captain Expeditions: 1,077 also J. A. L. Preiss: 10 Alexander (Cliff) vulnerable; 314 listed under Cooks’ Endeavour): 141 James Murray (Alfred Beauglehole: NSW 6537 Joseph Dalton Hooker: 71 the FFG Act; 445 critically Robert Brown (Flinders’ Howitt’s second Victorian Odoardo Beccari: 21 endangered; 118 extinct circumnavigation): 998 Exploring Party expedition): Ilma Grace Stone: 134 Australian Plant Bank is Jacques Labillardière: 29 1 located at the Royal Botanic Diedrich Henne (William Gardens Sydney; it houses Landsborough’ Queensland the Garden's seed bank (and Relief Expedition): 1 incorporates a seed vault, Ferdinand Mueller formerly the NSW (Augustus Gregory North Seedbank), and specialises Australian Exploring in the conservation and Expedition): 39 horticultural research of John McDouall Stuart NSW plant species. expeditions: 1 Pimelea spinescens: 3 Ernest Giles expeditions: 9 Nematolepis wilsonii: 4 Ferdinand Mueller Bowenia spectabilis: 7 collections: 540 Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific

101 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment Expedition): 35 Tate (general): 79 Charles G. A. Winnecke (Horn Scientific Expedition): 2 Richard Helms (Elder Scientific Expedition): 1,342 Helms (general): 3,541 William Henry Harvey: 980 Australian National Joseph Banks (and Daniel Ludwig Leichhardt Rex Bertram Filson: 493 Franz Wilhelm Sieber: 82 Of the 965,238 records on Herbarium (CANB) Solander; Captain Cooks’ Expeditions: 4 William H. Nicholls: 3 John Kirk (Livingstone Australia’s Virtual Endeavour): 75 Herbarium, 16,369 are near Ferdinand Mueller Richard Austin Bastow: 31 expeditions): 1 Daniel Solander (and (Augustus Gregory North threatened; 8,420 Raleigh Black: 309 Joseph Dalton Hooker: 8 Joseph Banks; Captain Australian Exploring endangered; 3,045 Cooks’ Endeavour): 45 Expedition): 15 Alexander (Cliff) vulnerable; 507 listed under Beauglehole: 9 the FFG Act; 497 critically Robert Brown (Flinders’ John McDouall Stuart endangered; 158 extinct circumnavigation): 1,163 expeditions: 12 Ilma Grace Stone: 61 Australian National Botanic Jacques Labillardière: 18 Ernest Giles expeditions: 3 Gardens Seed Bank: Seed (non-Australian) Ferdinand Mueller Bank contains about 5300 collections: 443 accessions (individual seed Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific collections) from more than Expedition): 1 2600 different plant groups. Richard Helms (Elder For each seed collection, a Scientific Expedition): 99 herbarium specimen is collected and lodged at the William Henry Harvey: 1 Australian National Herbarium. Pimelea spinescens: 3 Nematolepis wilsonii: 6 Bowenia spectabilis: 20

102 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment Ballantinia antipoda (F.Muell.) E.A.Shaw: 2

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

State Herbarium of South Joseph Banks (and Daniel Hermann Beckler (Burke Rex Bertram Filson: 332 Franz Wilhelm Sieber: 1 Of the 729,662 records on Australia (AD) Solander; Captain Cooks’ and Wills’ Victorian William H. Nicholls: 38 Joseph Dalton Hooker: 10 Australia’s Virtual Endeavour): 3 Exploring Expedition): 1 Herbarium, 21,575 are near Richard Austin Bastow: 5 Daniel Solander (and Ludwig Leichhardt threatened; 9,251 Raleigh Black: 85 Joseph Banks; Captain Expeditions: 3 endangered; 521 vulnerable; Ilma Grace Stone: 23 215 listed under the FFG Cooks’ Endeavour): 8 Ferdinand Mueller Act; 29 critically Robert Brown (Flinders’ (Augustus Gregory North endangered; 46 extinct circumnavigation): 63 Australian Exploring The South Australian Seed Jacques Labillardière: 2 Expedition): 4 Conservation Centre, based (non-Australian) Ernest Giles expeditions: 3 at the Botanic Gardens of Ferdinand Mueller South Australia, has the collections: 233 primary objective to collect Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific seed from priority plant Expedition): 417 species throughout South Ralph Tate (general): 1,904 Australia. Charles G. A. Winnecke Pimelea spinescens: 1 (Horn Scientific Nematolepis wilsonii: 2 Expedition): 2 Bowenia spectabilis: 2 Richard Helms (Elder Ballantinia antipoda Scientific Expedition): 1,824 (F.Muell.) E.A.Shaw: 2 Helms (general): 1,929 William Henry Harvey: 20

QUEENSLAND

Queensland Herbarium Joseph Banks (and Daniel Ludwig Leichhardt Rex Bertram Filson: 15 Documenting and (BRI) Solander; Captain Cooks’ Expeditions: 9 Ilma Grace Stone: 248 conserving Australia’s

103 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment Endeavour): 143 Ferdinand Mueller changing environment Daniel Solander (and (Augustus Gregory North Of the 510,987 records on Joseph Banks; Captain Australian Exploring Australia’s Virtual Cooks’ Endeavour): 83 Expedition): 10 Herbarium, 8,010 are near John McDouall Stuart threatened; 8,520 expeditions: 6 endangered; 15 extinct Ferdinand Mueller Queensland Seeds for Life collections: 27 (Q-SFL) is the State’s key Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific agency for seed banking, Expedition): 1 and comprises a partnership between the Brisbane Richard Helms (Elder Botanic Gardens (BBG), Scientific Expedition): 5 Griffith University (GU) and the University of Queensland (UQ), with support from the Queensland Herbarium and Greening Australia Queensland (GAQ); over 800 Queensland plant species have been collected and stored Bowenia spectabilis: 38

WEST AUSTRALIA

Western Australian Joseph Banks (and Daniel Hermann Beckler (Burke Rex Bertram Filson: 284 Franz Wilhelm Sieber: 30 Of the 762,656 records on Herbarium (PERTH) Solander; Captain Cooks’ and Wills’ Victorian William H. Nicholls: 39 Joseph Dalton Hooker: 1 Australia’s Virtual Endeavour): 1 Exploring Expedition): 6 Herbarium, 40,061 are near Raleigh Black: 2 Odoardo Beccari: 2 Daniel Solander (and James Murray (Alfred threatened; 7,807 Ilma Grace Stone: 5 Joseph Banks; Captain Howitt’s second Victorian endangered; 148 vulnerable; Cooks’ Endeavour): 1 Exploring Party 20 listed under the FFG Act; 1 critically endangered; Robert Brown (Flinders’ Expedition): 1 18 extinct

104 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment circumnavigation): 27 Ludwig Leichhardt WA Seed Technology Jacques Labillardière: 40 Expeditions: 5 Centre at Kings Park and Ferdinand Mueller Botanic Garden collects (Augustus Gregory North seeds and plant material to Australian Exploring conserve Western Expedition): 7 Australia’s biodiversity; it has been in operation since John McDouall Stuart the 1960s and currently expeditions: 7 holds more than 10,600 Ernest Giles expeditions: 12 collections. Ferdinand Mueller The Department of Parks collections: 324 and Wildlife’s Threatened Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific Flora Seed Centre (Flora Expedition): 6 Conservation and Richard Helms (Elder Herbarium Program) was Scientific Expedition): 1,818 established to safeguard a geographically diverse range of seeds from threatened plant species; since 1993, the Seed Centre has successfully stored seeds from three-quarters of WA’s threatened plant species, and continues to improve the breadth and depth of its collections. It has also reintroduced more than 50 threatened species back into the wild. Nematolepis wilsonii: 2

TASMANIA

Tasmanian Herbarium Robert Brown (Flinders’ Ferdinand Mueller Rex Bertram Filson: 164 John Kirk (Livingstone Of the 193,710 records on

105 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment (HO) circumnavigation): 28 (Augustus Gregory North William H. Nicholls: 1 expeditions): 3 Australia’s Virtual Jacques Labillardière: 9 Australian Exploring Richard Austin Bastow: 2 Joseph Dalton Hooker: 63 Herbarium, 6.614 are near Expedition): 2 threatened; 3,644 Raleigh Black: 204 Ferdinand Mueller endangered; 92 vulnerable; collections: 57 44 listed under the FFG Act; 6 critically endangered; Richard Helms (Elder 32 extinct Scientific Expedition): 20 Tasmania’s SeedSafe is a collaboration between the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, the Tasmanian Herbarium, and the Biodiversity Conservation Branch of Tasmania’s Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment; its long-term aim is to hold viable, multi- provenanced collections for the entire Tasmanian flora Nematolepis wilsonii: 4 Ballantinia antipoda (F.Muell.) E.A.Shaw: 2

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Northern Territory Joseph Banks (and Daniel Hermann Beckler (Burke Rex Bertram Filson: 3 Of the 268,689 records on Herbarium (DNA and Solander; Captain Cooks’ and Wills’ Victorian Alexander (Cliff) Australia’s Virtual NT) Endeavour): 2 Exploring Expedition): 1 Beauglehole: 5279 Herbarium, 5,575 are near Robert Brown (Flinders’ James Murray (Alfred threatened; 214 endangered; circumnavigation): 75 Howitt’s second Victorian 739 vulnerable; 6 listed Exploring Party under the FFG Act; 10 Expedition): 2 critically endangered; 3 extinct

106 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Early European Nineteenth-century Twentieth-century Nineteenth-century Documenting and exploration of Australia Australian inland Australian collectors foreign collectors conserving Australia’s expeditions changing environment Ferdinand Mueller 700 NT species have been (Augustus Gregory North collected and banked for Australian Exploring the Alice Springs Seed Bank Expedition): 64 to date John McDouall Stuart Bowenia spectabilis: 2 expeditions: 7 Ernest Giles expeditions: 10 Ferdinand Mueller collections: 111 Ralph Tate (Horn Scientific Expedition): 37 Charles G. A. Winnecke (Horn Scientific Expedition): 3 Richard Helms (Elder Scientific Expedition): 32

Library, Archive and Botanical Art Collection

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria

VICTORIA

State Library of Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 114 Elizabeth (Betty) Conabere: 123 Victoria Banks & Parkinson Subject RBGV: 111 (76 Photographs and Celia Rosser: 6* Bauer and Brown (1813): 1 Pictures, 13 Maps and Plans, and including annual Ludwig Becker: 1* reports) Hooker (1847-60): 1 (6 vol) Subject ‘National Herbarium Victoria’: 2 Houtou de La Billardiere (1804-06): 1 Leichhardt (1847): 1*

107 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria Giles (1880): 1*

Museum Victoria Leichhardt (1847): 1 Mueller: 111 (The Mueller Medals, medals Celia Rosser: 1 (tapestry, contributing artist) awarded to Mueller and timber samples prepared by Mueller) Photographs RBGV: 11 Objects RBGV: 3 (postcards, pamphlets) Melbourne Observatory: 1

Art Gallery of Ballarat Edwards’ Botanical Register 1815—1845: loose Mueller: 6 (19th century books) Marian Ellis Rowan: 4 original, 1 print pages with images, some text pages, none in Margaret Stones: 7 bound from Anita Barley: 1 Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1878—1900: 600-700

loose pages with images. One bound Vol: 1831 volume 5 Pages from a Muller publication now loose. Illustration include works by Ludwig Becker, Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—1849: loose Schoenfeld, Emile Todt pages with images, some text pages, none in bound from Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875: loose pages with images, some text pages, none in bound from

National Gallery of N/A RBGV: 6 (Photographs and paintings) Margaret Stones: 52 Victoria Celia Rosser Gallery N/A N/A Celia Rosser: 77 Powerhouse Museum. Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 2 N/A Research Library. University of N/A N/A Malcolm Howie: 83 Melbourne Herbarium Alfred Ewart: 1

108 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria

The University of Banks (1900): 1 N/A N/A Melbourne, The Banks & Parkinson: 1 University Library Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Leichhardt (1847): 1 Giles (1880): 1 Deakin University, Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Mueller: 36 (19th century books) N/A Deakin University Library

NEW SOUTH WALES

Daniel Solander Banks (1900): 1 N/A N/A Library, NSW Bauer and Brown (1813): 1 Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Labillardière (1804-1807): 1 Leichhardt (1847): 1 Wallich (1830-1832): 1

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1787— Kew Bulletin 1887— Plant Systematics and Evolution 1976— Edwards’ Botanical Register 1829—1847 Botanical Society of the Linnean Society of London 1957—2013 Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—18498 Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875 Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1819—1845 Art Gallery of New N/A N/A Margaret Stone: 5

109 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria South Wales Marian Ellis Rowan: 4 State Library of NSW Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 107 Marian Ellis Rowan: 9 Bauer and Brown (1813): 3 19th Century photos of RBGV Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Labillardière (1804-1807): 1 Leichhardt (1847): 1 Giles (1880): 1 Fuchs (1542): 1 Wallich (1830-32): 1 Australian Museum Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 10 (19th century books, journals & plates) N/A Leichhardt (1847): 1

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

CSIRO Black Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 44 (reports and publications) CSIRO Black Mountain Library does not hold a Mountain Library & Leichhardt (1847): 1 RBGV: 1 (Book published 1984) collection of botanical art works. The Herbarium National Herbarium Library hold some botanical art works, including Wallich (1830-32): 1 Library Banks drawings, however unable to confirm Oeder (1766-1823): 1 (10 vol) numbers.

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1878—1901: Vol. 15 (1801)-Vol. 183 (1983) (Vol. 63-130 on microfiche) Kew Bulletin 1946—: Vol. 1 (1946)-Vol. 63 (2008) Plant Systematics and Evolution 1974—Vol. 123 (1974)-Vol. 231, no. 1/4 (2002) Botanical Society of the Linnean Society of London 1969—: o Journal of the Linnean Society of London. Botany: Vol. 8 (1865) – Vol. 61

110 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria (1968) o Botanical journal of the Linnean Society: Vol. 62 (1969)- Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—1849: Vol. 1 (1834)-Vol. 16 (1849) Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875: Vol. 1 (1791)-Vol. 19 (1845); Vol. 26, no. 4 (1870); Vol. 27, no. 1 (1869); Vol. 30 (1874) Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1875—1916: Vol. 1 (1875)-v. 9 (1922) Library of the Edwards (1815-1827): Some parts Mueller: Annual Report to Parliament 1862; 1869 Collin E. Woolcock: 175 Australia National RBGV maps: 1 Elizabeth (Betty) Conabere: 1 Botanic Gardens, ACT Kew Bulletin 1946—: 1984 - 1994 RBGV plans 1980 – 90s Celia Rosser: 4 Edwards’ Botanical Register 1815—1845: RBGV annual report 1989/90-1991/92 Appendix 1939-45 RBGV & National Herbarium: Discussion Paper Botanical Society of the Linnean Society of London 1969—: 1969 - 1995 National Gallery of N/A N/A Margaret Stones: 21 Australia National Library of Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 142 (19th century books and manuscripts) (Marion) Ellis Roan: 919 Australia Bauer and Brown (1813): 1 Subject RBGV: 61 of which; Celia Rosser: 7 Hooker (1844-1860): 1 RBGV Photographs: 52 Margaret Stones: 8 (watercolours and lithographs) Houtou de La Billardiere (1804-1807): 1 RBGV guidebooks: 5 Anita Barley: 4 (limited edition prints) Leichhardt (1847): 1 RBGV maps: 4 Giles (1880): 1

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Library of the Botanic Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: c30 (books, journals) Marian Ellis Rowan: 101 (watercolours) Gardens of Adelaide, Banks & Parkinson Mueller correspondence: Unknown, not Collin E. Woolcock: 100 (watercolours) + 149

111 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria SA Hooker (1844-1860): 1 catalogued watercolour album (includes work of other Houtou de La Billardiere (1804-1807): 1 RBGV: c30 artists). Fuchs (1542): 1 Reports on RBGV and National Herbarium: c15 Margaret Stones: 2 Edwards (1815-1827): 1 Wallich (1830-1832): 1 (2 vol) Banks (1900): 1 Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck (1836-1863): 1

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1878—1901: 1787- Kew Bulletin 1946—: 1887- Plant Systematics and Evolution 1974—: 1976- 1989 (imperfect) Edwards’ Botanical Register 1815—1845: 1815- 1847 Botanical Society of the Linnean Society of London 1969—: 1969-1989 Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—1849: 1834- 1839 (5 vols only) Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875: 1857-1875 (imperfect?) Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1875—1916: 1875-1916 (imperfect?) The Library of the Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 25 (19th century books, journals and one N/A Royal Geographical Hooker (1844-1860): 1 original sketch) Society of South Giles (1880): 1 Guilfoyle: 1* Australia State Library of South Banks (1900): 1 RBGV: 18 (photographs, guidebooks, maps, N/A Australia Hooker (1844-1860): 1 books) National Herbarium VIC: 1 (guidebook)

112 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria Houtou de La Billardiere (1804-1807): 1 Leichhardt (1847): 1 Giles (1880): 1 Wallich (1830-32): 1

QUEENSLAND

Queensland Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 17 publications & reports Celia Rosser: 1 (print) Herbarium Library, Bauer & Brown (1813):1 Correspondence of FM Bailey QLD Hooker (1844-1860): 1 Several inscriptions by Mueller in printed books Houtou de La Billardiere (1804-1807): 1 RBGV: annual reports Leichhardt (1847): 1 Wallich (1830-32): 1

Curtis’s Botanical Magazine 1878—1901: Vol 1 to present Kew Bulletin 1946: 1946- Plant Systematics and Evolution 1974—: 1989- 2005 Edwards’ Botanical Register 1815—1845: 1815- 1845 Botanical Society of the Linnean Society of London 1969—: 1969- Paxton’s Magazine of Botany 1834—1849: Vol 1- 15 Transactions of the Linnean Society 1791—1875 & Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1875—1916: 1868 to 1905, Vol 26-30 (27 in part only), vol 1-6 second series

113 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria

Queensland Museum Leichhardt (1847): 1 N/A N/A State Library of Leichhardt (1847): 1 Mueller: 33 (19th century books mainly) Marian Ellis Rowan: 1 (chromolithograph) Queensland RBGV: 19 (including books, journals, and two maps)

WEST AUSTRALIA

Western Australian Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 289 (the majority of these are on Marion Ellis Rowan: 1 (reproduction) Herbarium Banks & Parkinson microform, not originals) Celia Rosser: 6 (reproductions) Library/Department of Parks and Wildlife, Conservation Library, WA State Library of Banks (1900): 1 Mueller: 19 (19th century books and photocopies N/A Western Australia Giles (1880): 1 of original correspondence) National Herbarium Vic: 2 RBGV: 3

TASMANIA

Tasmanian N/A N/A N/A Herbarium Library, TAS Queen Victoria Banks (1900): 1 N/A N/A Museum and Art Gallery. Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Library.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Northern Territory Yes, but details unknown. Yes, but details unknown. Yes, but details unknown.

114 SIGNIFICANCE ASSESSMENT

Collection Documenting Australian and foreign flora in Operating the Royal Botanic Gardens Representing Australian flora in art literature Victoria Herbarium Library, NT

115 STATE BOTANICAL COLLECTION

APPENDIX C: COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS

116 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q1 Where do you live? Please select one option.

Answered: 200 Skipped: 0

Metropolitan Melbourne

Elsewhere in Victoria

Australian Capital...

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Western Australia

Outside of Australia

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

Metropolitan Melbourne 23.50% 47

Elsewhere in Victoria 12.00% 24

Australian Capital Territory 6.50% 13

New South Wales 7.50% 15

Northern Territory 1.50% 3

Queensland 4.50% 9

South Australia 6.00% 12

Tasmania 1.50% 3

Western Australia 3.00% 6

Outside of Australia 34.00% 68

Total 200

# Outside of Australia (please specify which country) Date

1 UK 6/30/2016 9:14 PM

1 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

2 Finland 6/30/2016 6:21 PM

3 Poland 6/30/2016 3:16 AM

4 USA 6/29/2016 11:38 PM

5 Italy 6/29/2016 10:43 PM

6 USA 6/29/2016 8:30 AM

7 US 6/29/2016 7:26 AM

8 New Zealand 6/29/2016 7:00 AM

9 New Zealand 6/29/2016 6:58 AM

10 Germany 6/29/2016 6:13 AM

11 USA 6/29/2016 5:53 AM

12 Italy 6/29/2016 3:39 AM

13 USA 6/28/2016 10:15 PM

14 China 6/28/2016 4:29 PM

15 United States of America 6/28/2016 4:43 AM

16 South Korea 6/20/2016 3:54 PM

17 New Zealand 6/15/2016 11:15 AM

18 Sweden 6/10/2016 6:36 PM

19 Sweden 6/9/2016 9:08 PM

20 United States 6/9/2016 3:54 AM

21 United States 6/8/2016 11:29 AM

22 United States 6/8/2016 8:29 AM

23 Netherlands 6/8/2016 4:14 AM

24 New Zealand 6/7/2016 12:36 PM

25 United States 6/7/2016 4:47 AM

26 Canada 6/6/2016 11:13 AM

27 Italy 6/4/2016 9:40 PM

28 USA 6/4/2016 11:00 AM

29 USA 6/4/2016 8:43 AM

30 United States 6/4/2016 4:52 AM

31 United States 6/4/2016 4:28 AM

32 U.S.A. 6/4/2016 12:01 AM

33 Germany 6/3/2016 6:06 PM

34 italy 6/3/2016 6:04 PM

35 6/3/2016 6:02 PM

36 Japan 6/3/2016 5:45 PM

37 USA 6/3/2016 10:44 AM

38 USA 6/3/2016 8:49 AM

39 United States 6/3/2016 6:41 AM

40 New Zealand 6/3/2016 5:11 AM

41 Mexico 6/3/2016 4:57 AM

42 USA 6/3/2016 4:50 AM

43 Germany 6/3/2016 4:00 AM

44 USA 6/3/2016 3:18 AM

45 US 6/3/2016 2:19 AM

2 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

46 USA 6/3/2016 2:01 AM

47 U.K. 6/3/2016 1:51 AM

48 USA 6/3/2016 12:18 AM

49 USA 6/2/2016 11:51 PM

50 UK 6/2/2016 11:22 PM

51 U.S.A. 6/2/2016 10:42 PM

52 China 6/2/2016 10:08 PM

53 Austria 6/2/2016 9:50 PM

54 Germany 6/2/2016 9:36 PM

55 Brazil 6/2/2016 9:08 PM

56 the netherlands 6/2/2016 8:11 PM

57 Netherlands 6/2/2016 8:06 PM

58 Spain, Europe 6/2/2016 7:51 PM

59 New Zealand 6/2/2016 7:48 PM

60 Fiji 6/2/2016 7:06 PM

61 Belgium 6/2/2016 6:17 PM

62 Japan 6/2/2016 5:10 PM

63 Stockholm, Sweden 6/2/2016 5:06 PM

64 Germany 6/2/2016 4:30 PM

65 India 6/2/2016 4:25 PM

66 New Zealand 6/2/2016 3:33 PM

3 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q2 What is your main association with the State Botanical Collection? Please select one option.

Answered: 197 Skipped: 3

I am a scientist

I am a botanist

I am a historian

I am an artist

I am a field naturalist

I am a consultant

I am an employee of ...

I am a volunteer or...

I am a collection...

I am a librarian

Other

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

I am a scientist 13.71% 27

I am a botanist 36.55% 72

I am a historian 10.66% 21

I am an artist 4.57% 9

I am a field naturalist 2.03% 4

I am a consultant 1.52% 3

I am an employee of a similar organisation 6.60% 13

I am a volunteer or Friend of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria 3.05% 6

11.68% 23 I am a collection manager or curator

I am a librarian 4.57% 9

4 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Other 5.08% 10

Total 197

# Other (please specify) Date

1 Editor Muellelr correspondence project 6/29/2016 9:24 AM

2 Sir Ferd. Mueller, I am a geographer 6/29/2016 6:16 AM

3 State government employee 6/28/2016 3:22 PM

4 Scientist, botanist, academic of a separate institution 6/28/2016 3:09 PM

5 Editor of the |John McDouall Stuart Society newsletter 6/20/2016 2:09 PM

6 phycologist (marine botany) 6/9/2016 12:16 PM

7 Research Associate (pollination biologist) 6/9/2016 3:55 AM

8 Very amatuer historian 6/4/2016 11:17 PM

9 Mycologist 6/3/2016 2:52 PM

10 Honorary ResearchFellow La Trobe University Melb. 6/3/2016 12:01 PM

11 I am a horticulturist 6/2/2016 6:44 PM

12 herbarium curator of HAL 6/2/2016 4:30 PM

13 zoologist 6/2/2016 3:43 PM

5 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q3 What are your other associations with the State Botanical Collection, if any? You may select multiple options.

Answered: 195 Skipped: 5

I am a scientist

I am a botanist

I am a historian

I am an artist

I am a field naturalist

I am a consultant

I am an employee of ...

I am a volunteer or...

I am a collection...

I am a librarian

I have no other...

Other

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

I am a scientist 24.62% 48

I am a botanist 30.26% 59

I am a historian 10.26% 20

I am an artist 3.59% 7

I am a field naturalist 17.95% 35

I am a consultant 7.69% 15

I am an employee of a similar organisation 23.59% 46

I am a volunteer or Friend of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria 4.62% 9

I am a collection manager or curator 15.38% 30

6 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

I am a librarian 5.13% 10

I have no other associations with the State Botanical Collection 14.36% 28

Other 8.21% 16

Total Respondents: 195

# Other (please specify) Date

1 I am a horticulturist 6/29/2016 10:51 PM

2 Researcher in environmental philosophy 6/29/2016 9:52 AM

3 Family history 6/28/2016 3:23 PM

4 academic 6/28/2016 3:10 PM

5 I also research botany related subjects 6/23/2016 6:36 PM

6 I am an Honorary Associate of RBGV 6/18/2016 6:25 PM

7 I am an Honorary Associate 6/11/2016 10:40 AM

8 I have retired but have been an employee of a similar organisation 6/9/2016 1:38 PM

9 taxonomist 6/8/2016 10:33 AM

10 Am studying ants in remnant vevetation 6/7/2016 11:54 AM

11 PhD Student that borrowed fungal collections 6/6/2016 11:14 AM

12 Muelleria is my publishing Journal over 40years 6/3/2016 12:04 PM

13 Retired curator 6/3/2016 10:45 AM

14 Writer 6/2/2016 9:47 PM

15 I am interested in botany 6/2/2016 7:58 PM

16 Provided invaluable research for a historical garden in Fiji 6/2/2016 7:09 PM

17 I formerly worked at the University of Melbourne - Burnley Campus, now retired. 6/2/2016 6:46 PM

18 and am a former employee of RBG 6/2/2016 4:50 PM

19 interest in the history of plant collections 6/2/2016 4:38 PM

20 I am a horticulturalist 6/2/2016 4:09 PM

21 I have a science education background, and also edit Botanic News for the Friends of the Melbourne Gardens. 6/2/2016 3:56 PM

7 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q4 If you selected ‘I am an employee of a similar organisation’, please tell us which organisation you work for here:

Answered: 72 Skipped: 128

# Responses Date

1 Finnish Museum of Natural History, Helsinki 6/30/2016 6:23 PM

2 State Herbarium of South Australia. (I am also a previous employee of the National Herbarium of Victoria.) 6/29/2016 11:36 AM

3 Auckland War Memorial Museum 6/29/2016 7:02 AM

4 Volunteer at Queensland Herbarium Library 6/28/2016 7:10 PM

5 State Herbarium of South Australia 6/28/2016 4:45 PM

6 PE Herbarium 6/28/2016 4:33 PM

7 Museum Victoria 6/28/2016 3:42 PM

8 National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust 6/28/2016 3:39 PM

9 Daniel Solander Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney 6/28/2016 3:25 PM

10 CSIRO - Australian National Herbarium 6/21/2016 1:14 PM

11 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 6/15/2016 11:16 AM

12 Queensland Herbarium 6/14/2016 12:25 PM

13 CNS 6/13/2016 11:16 AM

14 Lund University Biological Museum 6/10/2016 6:37 PM

15 Macleay Museum, University of Sydney 6/10/2016 3:36 PM

16 Herbarium of New South Wales 6/10/2016 1:21 PM

17 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney 6/9/2016 6:01 PM

18 I was employed at the National Herbarium of NSW, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney 6/9/2016 1:39 PM

19 national herbarium of nsw, royal botanic gardens sydney 6/9/2016 12:17 PM

20 National Herbarium of NSW 6/9/2016 10:14 AM

21 Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney 6/9/2016 9:04 AM

22 Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri and a Research Associate of the Missouri 6/9/2016 3:56 AM Botanical Garden

23 RBG Sydney 6/8/2016 8:03 PM

24 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney 6/8/2016 7:03 PM

25 Australian National Herbarium, Canberra. Federal Dept of the Environment. 6/8/2016 9:35 AM

26 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 6/7/2016 12:38 PM

27 CSIRO National Research Collections Australia 6/7/2016 12:23 PM

28 The Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery 6/7/2016 10:27 AM

29 Smithsonian Institution 6/7/2016 4:49 AM

30 WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff 6/6/2016 7:07 PM

31 SHSA 6/6/2016 3:23 PM

32 Museum Victoria 6/6/2016 12:04 PM

33 Australian National Herbarium 6/6/2016 10:41 AM

34 Museum Victoria 6/6/2016 10:30 AM

35 Australian Tropical Herbarium 6/6/2016 10:25 AM

36 University of Melbourne 6/5/2016 11:34 PM

8 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

37 University 6/4/2016 11:01 AM

38 Naturhistorisches Museum Wien 6/3/2016 6:03 PM

39 Tasmanian Herbarium 6/3/2016 1:19 PM

40 Botanic Gardens SA 6/3/2016 1:10 PM

41 State Library Victoria 6/3/2016 12:32 PM

42 CSIRO 6/3/2016 12:12 PM

43 Self Employed 6/3/2016 12:04 PM

44 Australian National Herbarium 6/3/2016 12:03 PM

45 State Herbarium of SA 6/3/2016 11:55 AM

46 CSIRO 6/3/2016 11:53 AM

47 James Cook University, , Queensland 6/3/2016 11:52 AM

48 CSIRO, Australian National Herbarium 6/3/2016 11:19 AM

49 Tasmanian Herbarium 6/3/2016 9:35 AM

50 A botanical garden in Illinois, USA 6/3/2016 8:50 AM

51 Australian Tropical Herbarium (CNS) 6/3/2016 8:32 AM

52 n/a 6/3/2016 6:41 AM

53 Allan Herbarium, Landcare Research, New Zealand 6/3/2016 5:12 AM

54 Missouri Botanical Garden 6/3/2016 4:52 AM

55 New York Botanical Garden 6/3/2016 3:19 AM

56 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, U.K. (retired) 6/3/2016 1:53 AM

57 University of Michigan 6/2/2016 11:51 PM

58 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 6/2/2016 11:23 PM

59 Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences 6/2/2016 10:09 PM

60 Library former National Herbarium of the Netherlands 6/2/2016 8:13 PM

61 Naturalis Biodiversity Center 6/2/2016 8:07 PM

62 Herbarium Universidad de Murcia, Spain 6/2/2016 7:52 PM

63 That wouldn't then be anonymous. 6/2/2016 7:49 PM

64 Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium 6/2/2016 6:18 PM

65 Northern Territory Herbarium, Alice Springs 6/2/2016 5:56 PM

66 The Swedish Museum of Natural History 6/2/2016 5:07 PM

67 University of \Melbourne Archives 6/2/2016 4:50 PM

68 AD 6/2/2016 4:38 PM

69 State Herbarium of South Australia 6/2/2016 4:33 PM

70 I am in process of setting up Savurua Botanical Gardens in Fiji 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

71 Murdoch University 6/2/2016 3:44 PM

72 The Field Museum 6/2/2016 3:35 PM

9 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q5 Have you visited the State Botanical Collection at the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL)?

Answered: 190 Skipped: 10

Yes

No

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

Yes 64.21% 122

No 35.79% 68

Total 190

10 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q6 Which part(s) of the State Botanical Collection have you accessed? You may select multiple options.

Answered: 121 Skipped: 79

The herbarium specimens...

The botanical library and...

The botanical art collection

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

The herbarium specimens collection 90.91% 110

The botanical library and archive 61.98% 75

The botanical art collection 28.10% 34

Total Respondents: 121

11 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q7 Have you accessed collecting data or information about the State Botanical Collection online, if so through what portals? You may select multiple options.

Answered: 189 Skipped: 11

Australia’s Virtual...

Atlas of Living...

Global Biodiversity...

VicFlora (Flora of...

Victorian Biodiversity...

Global Plants on JSTOR

Royal Botanic Gardens...

Royal Botanic Gardens...

I have not accessed any...

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

Australia’s Virtual Herbarium 68.78% 130

Atlas of Living Australia 48.15% 91

Global Biodiversity Information Facility 19.58% 37

VicFlora (Flora of Victoria) 30.69% 58

Victorian Biodiversity Atlas 12.17% 23

Global Plants on JSTOR 42.33% 80

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria website 42.86% 81

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria library catalogue 23.28% 44

I have not accessed any information about the State Botanical Collection online 15.87% 30

Total Respondents: 189

12 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q8 Why is the State Botanical Collection personally important to you? You may select multiple options.

Answered: 188 Skipped: 12

For its role in research

For its role in preservin...

For its Type specimens

For its foreign-coll...

For the information ...

For the information ...

For its contemporary...

For the books or journals ...

For its material suc...

For its botanical ar...

Other

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

For its role in research 83.51% 157

For its role in preserving herbarium specimens 88.30% 166

For its Type specimens 73.94% 139

For its foreign-collected specimens 32.98% 62

For the information it holds on the history of botany in Australia 62.23% 117

For the information it holds on the history of botany globally 39.36% 74

For its contemporary collecting 37.77% 71

For the books or journals in its library 44.15% 83

39.36% 74 For its material such as manuscripts, photographs and maps

For its botanical art collection 26.60% 50

13 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Other 7.45% 14

Total Respondents: 188

# Other (please specify) Date

1 For the information it reveals about the importance of field naturalists 6/29/2016 10:54 PM

2 for its work about the work of Ferd. Mueller 6/29/2016 6:20 AM

3 For the knowledge that may be gained in the future from its existence 6/28/2016 4:46 PM

4 The people are delightful to deal with, always 6/28/2016 3:40 PM

5 Family history connection (Frederick Pitcher) 6/28/2016 3:26 PM

6 the botanists and librarian and their knowledge and skills 6/28/2016 3:12 PM

7 For information on history of impact of European settlement on Australian environment. For physical record 6/18/2016 6:28 PM (through specimens) of history of exploration of Australia.

8 For training, procedural comparison, volunteer programs comparison 6/9/2016 10:17 AM

9 living collections 6/9/2016 3:58 AM

10 archival materials 6/7/2016 8:04 PM

11 For its significant archival collection 6/4/2016 8:54 PM

12 Redily accessed for comparative study 6/3/2016 12:08 PM

13 To talk with the people who work there - they are very knowledgeable about the plants that interest me 6/2/2016 10:46 PM

14 It holds specimens collected by my grandfather (Ted Ryko) and by me (Michele Adler) 6/2/2016 6:48 PM

15 For the knowledge of the staff of the Herbarium and its publications 6/2/2016 6:28 PM

16 As with other herbaria it is often difficult to know what is held in the foreign collected specimens but these may well 6/2/2016 4:42 PM be important to extra Australian botanists

17 For the skills of its staff 6/2/2016 3:46 PM

14 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q9 Which items in the State Botanical Collection are of most interest to you and why?

Answered: 178 Skipped: 22

# Responses Date

1 Preserved specimens which enable me to identify plant material correctly for artistic or other purposes. 7/1/2016 3:45 PM

2 1) Books and Journals, some of which are inaccessible otherwise, although the SBCV has usefully made some of 6/30/2016 9:35 PM them freely available through BHL site; some, becasue of their annotations, are unique items and contain information not other wise acessible, and which have illuminated interactions between colonial and metropolitan centres of research. 2). The catalogue of specimens held in the herbarium, and accessible through AVH data base, is, in addition to its importance becasue of its comprehensve nature in supporting modern research on topics ranging from ecological change over time and contemporary methods of systematics research, invluable in the history of exploration, and in interpreting the deelopment of international scientific networks from the mid 19 century. It also hold, because of the development of strong connections between Kew and Melbourne, material critically important foer earlier peiods in Australian history. Its value will be very greatly enhanced as more of its extra-Australianspeciens are catalogued. This enhanced value will increase its utility for historical as well as contemporary scientific purposes.

3 Lichens, especially family Cladoniaceae, many specimens useful for my worldwide studies 6/30/2016 6:30 PM

4 Herbarium specimens and associated data; as my role as a Collections Manager in facilitating research in the flora 6/30/2016 3:08 PM of WA.

5 type specimens - research & identification 6/29/2016 11:41 PM

6 I am particularly interested in specimens collected by early members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Ballarat (of 6/29/2016 11:00 PM which I am now a member) and any other specimens collected in the Ballarat region, which is where I live and love the environment. I also love the amazing collection of books in the library and botanical art that I've had the privilege to see during exhibitions. Why? Inspiring, informative, useful, beautiful.

7 Herbarium specimens, types and Literature as we have many Australian specimens in our historical collections. 6/29/2016 10:53 PM

8 The Herbarium holds significant historical collections and types, both for Australia and overseas, without them the 6/29/2016 11:42 AM proper taxonomic, nomenclatural and revisionary work on Australian plants would be impossible. The library's collection is one of the best in Australia.

9 Nature Prints by Frederick Pitcher 6/29/2016 11:16 AM

10 Rare native orchids 6/29/2016 9:57 AM

11 Mueller letters. Early serials. 6/29/2016 9:27 AM

12 Documentation of the taxa and early collectors in the southern hemisphere and their role in California landscaping. 6/29/2016 8:34 AM

13 Plant collections, and the associated history along with them 6/29/2016 7:30 AM

14 Distribution of Australian specimens that have naturalised in NZ - the native distribution indicates where it may 6/29/2016 7:09 AM naturalise in NZ. NZ material - because it may add to our known distribution of NZ species.

15 Biographic work on Ferd. Mueller and the analysis of the importance of his scientific work. Actually writing an 6/29/2016 6:32 AM article on Ferd. Mueller.

16 herbarium and library because they are our window to the past and allow us to predict the future of biodiversity in 6/29/2016 5:56 AM Australia.

17 Books and manuscripts that support my longrunning rsearch project on Ferdinand von Mueller 6/29/2016 12:46 AM

18 fungal collections 6/28/2016 10:17 PM

19 The archives such as botanical correspondence between botanists 6/28/2016 9:18 PM

20 Botanical art , other original materials (eg printing blocks, manuscripts) for exhibition purposes and research. 6/28/2016 7:24 PM Published works and library catalogue for historical and bibliographic research and cataloguing.

21 In general all of them, for their contribution to knowledge of our flora, for their potential value in taxonomy, for future 6/28/2016 4:48 PM uses as yet unknown...

22 type specimens 6/28/2016 4:43 PM

23 Herbarium collections: historically very rich but also a great diversity of contemporary material. Probably the most 6/28/2016 3:55 PM significant herbarium collection in Australia

15 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

24 Library, Botanical Art collection, specimens 6/28/2016 3:47 PM

25 Information about specimens collected, historical documentation, library 6/28/2016 3:28 PM

26 Library collections 6/28/2016 3:26 PM

27 Herbarium specimens 6/28/2016 3:25 PM

28 All herbarium records, especially as these give current and historical distribution of Victorian flora. 6/28/2016 3:21 PM

29 newly acquired Eileen ramsay Collection because I have based some of my artwork on her work. 6/28/2016 3:18 PM

30 The Herbarium collection for plant identification and taxonomy 6/28/2016 3:02 PM

31 Library Collection 6/28/2016 3:00 PM

32 Historical 6/28/2016 3:00 PM

33 We borrow historical botanic specimens for display. 6/28/2016 11:36 AM

34 Herbarium specimens that have galls caused by midges present. They give me possible locations for collecting 6/28/2016 8:54 AM fresh material and an idea of the past distribution of the host plants and associated galling insects. If multiple galls are present insect specimens can be used for DNA analysis which is also very useful.

35 Herbarium holdings for Australian Portulacaceae 6/28/2016 4:46 AM

36 Library for plant research. Art collection for historical interest. Herbarium for contribution of contemporary plant 6/23/2016 6:43 PM specimens.

37 Herbarium specimens particularly types for writing revisions and floras of Australian plants 6/21/2016 1:16 PM

38 Botanical specimens collected by F.G. Waterhouse and John McDouall Stuart and sent to Ferdinand Mueller and 6/20/2016 2:17 PM held in the Nat. Herbarium of Vic.

39 All items are of use in my research: books, manuscripts, art, specimens 6/18/2016 6:30 PM

40 Herbarium specimens - I am a plant taxonomist based at a herbarium 6/15/2016 6:31 PM

41 Herbarium specimens of my current study species, mostly Plantaginaceae (Veronica, Ourisia, Plantago) and 6/15/2016 11:18 AM Myosotis (Boraginaceae).

42 The specimens of terrestrial vascular plants 6/15/2016 11:00 AM

43 Plant specimens in the families I am researching, currently Mimosaceae, both Australian and foreign material. 6/14/2016 12:28 PM

44 Library Botanical art Historical specimens 6/13/2016 3:20 PM

45 As a repository of historical collections and types for northern Queensland. 6/13/2016 11:25 AM

46 The Australian native preserved plant specimens are of most interest to me because of my work in plant taxonomy. 6/11/2016 10:48 AM

47 ? 6/10/2016 6:39 PM

48 19th century PNG - subject research interest. Networks of collecting 6/10/2016 3:38 PM

49 Herbarium specimens of the plant families that I research 6/10/2016 1:23 PM

50 The original watercolour paintings. I have been involved in the biennial The Art of Botanical Illustration exhibition 6/10/2016 10:49 AM since its inception in 1992 - at which paintings have been acquired by the State Botanical Collection. I am hoping for a special exhibition one day.

51 The lichen herbarium as I am a licheologist interested in Australian biodiversity and MEL together with CANB has 6/9/2016 9:19 PM the best collections of these

52 Specimens of Proteaceae, Orchidaceae, Fabaceae, , Lauraceae, Trimeniaceae, Amborellaceae. I have 6/9/2016 6:07 PM conducted botanical research on these families

53 The type and historical collections, which are the richest collections anywhere in Australia. They are essential in our 6/9/2016 1:51 PM research since Mueller named so many species. Also specimens documenting more recent studies e.g. by Aston and by Walsh.

54 herbarium specimens, I need them for my work. 6/9/2016 12:18 PM

55 Herbarium specimens and their associated data and digital images 6/9/2016 10:19 AM

56 Herbarium Specimens. For their place within our knowledge infrastructure. 6/9/2016 9:09 AM

57 Pressed collection of native orchids 6/9/2016 3:59 AM

58 Herbarium collections 6/8/2016 8:04 PM

59 Herbarium specimens - both contemporary and historical - many type specimens in MEL. The best colln of 6/8/2016 7:10 PM Victorian plants is in MEL. The library holds many old publications not readily accessible elsewhere in Australia.

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60 The herbarium sheets as they can be used to infer the impact of climate change. This is particularly important in 6/8/2016 7:03 PM Australia where there is a paucity of phenological records. They can be used to establish the number of invasive species in Victoria. This information in turn can be feed to the National list enabling Australia to meet target 9 of the The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 see also http://www.geobon.org/Downloads/reports/GEOBON/2015/MonitoringBiologicalInvasions.pdf Herbarium data also contributes to understanding what species have been lost from particular areas, which species have become extinct. They also allow the conservation status of species to be established therefore contributing to the management of biodiversity as well as management plans for parks and reserves. They also contribute to plant taxonomy etc

61 None in particular 6/8/2016 11:30 AM

62 plant collections which enable taxonomic revision 6/8/2016 10:35 AM

63 Bryophyte collections as I am a research botanist as well as a curator of the cryptogam collections at CANB 6/8/2016 9:37 AM

64 Herbarium and liquid preserved collections 6/8/2016 4:17 AM

65 the herbarium the library archival materials 6/7/2016 8:10 PM

66 herbarium specimens (databased on MELISR), archival documents and library publications are crucial to my 6/7/2016 4:12 PM historical research

67 Herbarium specimens collected by Ludwig Leichhardt. I am currently undertaking Phd which looks at the 6/7/2016 2:34 PM specimens he collected.

68 Herbarium specimens, especially the type specimens 6/7/2016 12:42 PM

69 Herbarium specimens 6/7/2016 12:24 PM

70 Botanical specimens for comparison 6/7/2016 11:57 AM

71 Its lichen collection, and associated library resources, because that is what I do. 6/7/2016 10:29 AM

72 Herbarium specimens 6/7/2016 4:52 AM

73 Herbarium specimen occurence records. Validation of species identities and distribution against other records such 6/6/2016 7:12 PM as those in the VBA and ALA which are not technically validated

74 Library: material to do with the history of the RBGM. Herbarium: specimens related to plants in the Gardens and to 6/6/2016 4:27 PM Mueller e.g. lochiae.

75 Specimens and associated information 6/6/2016 12:55 PM

76 Journals and books in the library collection, as these are sometimes requested by staff at my organisation to assist 6/6/2016 12:09 PM their research. The rare book collection is of interest to me professionally because it is complementary to a collection held at my organisation, and personally because they are very beautiful!

77 Plant samples that enable accurate identification of species 6/6/2016 12:01 PM

78 Herbarium specimens for identification, loan and exchange, label data information, historical botanical information 6/6/2016 11:37 AM

79 All the fungal collections, but especially types of species described from Australia and NZ. 6/6/2016 11:16 AM

80 All the herbarium specimens from around Australia. Given the rate of degradation within our area of native 6/6/2016 11:13 AM vegetation (due to land clearness, weed invasion and climate change). These records provide a valuable insight into how things of changed. In addition to this how these specimens assist in the identification of new species.

81 Moss and Australian native plants 6/6/2016 10:49 AM

82 Digitized herbarium collection, for information from the herbarium label such as distribution. 6/6/2016 10:43 AM

83 Rare books, historic journals - I manage the Biodiversity Heritage Library. We would like to make these treasures 6/6/2016 10:34 AM accessible to the world by digitising them and uploading them online.

84 For its historical collections which may be potential type specimens . 6/6/2016 10:27 AM

85 library, herbarium specimens when ID'ing samples, data 6/5/2016 11:36 PM

86 Collection specamin sheets 6/5/2016 10:39 AM

87 The historical records because of my personal interest in the collection of Alfred Tadgell 6/4/2016 11:20 PM

88 Library and archival collections such as the Jim Willis collection 6/4/2016 9:18 PM

89 The Jim Willis collection relating to records associated with Victorian botanists 6/4/2016 8:57 PM

90 hitorical collections, maps, journals etc 6/4/2016 2:41 PM

91 herbarium 6/4/2016 11:02 AM

92 herbarium material 6/4/2016 4:55 AM

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93 fern collection 6/4/2016 4:36 AM

94 Herbarium collections because many plant groups I study have related species in Australia and the State Botanical 6/4/2016 12:04 AM Collections facilitates studying these species.

95 Plant collection - for the history and for research and identification 6/3/2016 10:52 PM

96 The Herbarium specimens, for botanical systematic and related areas of research and documentation. 6/3/2016 6:36 PM

97 Selaginella (lycophyte) because it is my research topic. 6/3/2016 6:08 PM

98 type specimens 6/3/2016 6:06 PM

99 herbarium specimens 6/3/2016 6:06 PM

100 seaweed specimens from NE Australia 6/3/2016 5:48 PM

101 All 6/3/2016 4:38 PM

102 The herbarium collections, current and historical. These are of enormous value and are integral in a range of 6/3/2016 2:55 PM scientific endeavours from taxonomy through to conservation.

103 The herbarium, an extremely valuable resource for plant taxonomic research. 6/3/2016 2:48 PM

104 Types, historical specimens and contemporary botanical collections. I use all three, primarily in my taxonomic 6/3/2016 1:22 PM research.

105 Library books and journals. 6/3/2016 1:12 PM

106 The botanical art collection and associated material 6/3/2016 12:59 PM

107 Specimens and associated metadata, as well as research reports, to trace changing plant distribution patterns over 6/3/2016 12:45 PM time. Documentation of the history of the development of the Botanic Gardens over time, held in the library.

108 Algal collection- that is my research focus 6/3/2016 12:15 PM

109 The type specimen collection; and all specimens of species of Eucalyptus from across Australia held in the 6/3/2016 12:13 PM herbarium collection, both historic and recent. The electronic label data that goes with the collection. The information the collection contains of species abundance or rarity through time. The scientific journal published by the herbarium, Muelleria.

110 Type speciens - those defining the names of Australian plants 6/3/2016 12:13 PM

111 Herbarium specimens 6/3/2016 12:12 PM

112 Cryptogam collection, library 6/3/2016 12:06 PM

113 Herbarium specimens, for taxonomic research; Archives of historical correspondence, especially that of Ferdinand 6/3/2016 11:58 AM Mueller; Library for rare botanical books and journals; Botanical art collection for historical research and taxonomic research.

114 Herbarium collection, especially Types and early southern Australian collections 6/3/2016 11:58 AM

115 Herbarium collections. Researching anomalies in names a collecting information 6/3/2016 11:55 AM

116 Herbarium specimens, both 'normal' and type specimens, for research purposes. 6/3/2016 11:21 AM

117 The specimens are very important historically and for research, these collections need to be preserved and 6/3/2016 11:11 AM managed.

118 Botanical Art and Historical Archvive 6/3/2016 11:06 AM

119 The main specimen collection, because I rely on having a large diversity of specimens to represent the range of 6/3/2016 10:57 AM morphological variation within and between taxa. The availability of a desk and dissecting microscope is important for my work.

120 specimens 6/3/2016 10:52 AM

121 Collections and literature 6/3/2016 10:48 AM

122 Australia's botanical history - documentation etc Botanical art - historical and contemporary Focus of my art practice 6/3/2016 9:54 AM

123 Vascular plants and bryophytes, because of my work in a similar institution. Also the library, because it holds such 6/3/2016 9:38 AM a comprehensive collection of publications not held elsewhere in Australia.

124 The specimen collections, both past and present. 6/3/2016 8:51 AM

125 Herbarium specimens. Because that is also my area of work. 6/3/2016 8:41 AM

126 herbarium specimens and publications 6/3/2016 8:35 AM

127 Information re diatom collections 6/3/2016 8:23 AM

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128 The herbarium collection. Access to specimens and their associated data is critical when working on biodiversity 6/3/2016 5:48 AM and evolutionary questions on a global basis. The herbarium collection is particularly important because material of Australian species is often not present or well represented in even the largest herbaria in the US and Europe.

129 Plant (type) specimens relevant for New Zealand botany 6/3/2016 5:16 AM

130 Herbarium specimens 6/3/2016 4:59 AM

131 Herbarium specimens 6/3/2016 4:02 AM

132 Herbarium specimens, including but not limited to types. 6/3/2016 3:20 AM

133 many 6/3/2016 2:20 AM

134 Herbarium specimens 6/3/2016 2:06 AM

135 Type collections of collected in Australia,and Malesia as I do research in this area. 6/3/2016 1:56 AM

136 Collections - they hold important information about species that I actively research 6/3/2016 12:23 AM

137 Australian collections as well as European historical collections 6/2/2016 11:54 PM

138 herbarium specimens 6/2/2016 11:25 PM

139 The specimens for the historical significance and the information we can obtain about specific plants in specific 6/2/2016 11:12 PM places. Also the papers in the library, particularly the Jim Willis papers.

140 Herbarium specimens of grasses in two tribes (Stipeae, Triticeae) - they are my research interest 6/2/2016 10:49 PM

141 library 6/2/2016 10:10 PM

142 historical collections worldwide 6/2/2016 10:03 PM

143 Original manuscripts , letters and photographs concerned with Baron von Mueller and his network of collectors of 6/2/2016 9:51 PM botanical specimens in southern NSW

144 historical collections for its types 6/2/2016 9:38 PM

145 Herbarium specimens because they are sometimes the only tangible link to the early Australian collectors and the 6/2/2016 8:09 PM data on the specimens sheets are invaluable

146 The immense collections of plant specimens; the vast amount of information that they voucher about plant diversity 6/2/2016 7:54 PM and distributions is what is important to me.

147 Herbarium samples 6/2/2016 7:53 PM

148 The specimens. 6/2/2016 7:26 PM

149 Material from fiji and who collected them and sent them to Melbourne. 6/2/2016 7:14 PM

150 Historical collections by many, including Von Mueller, Cook. Current collections. My family collections. 6/2/2016 6:50 PM

151 Australian historical facts and records as they pertain to the development of Victoria and Australia 6/2/2016 6:46 PM

152 Herbarium collections are essential when researching for taxonomic publications 6/2/2016 6:29 PM

153 Bryophytes for vouchered record of the distribution of taxa within the state. 6/2/2016 6:28 PM

154 Australian and foreign collections and type material 6/2/2016 6:23 PM

155 herbarium collections 6/2/2016 6:20 PM

156 Types. Basis for research; Botanical collections - compare our specimens with yours 6/2/2016 5:58 PM

157 Books & journals indispensible for reference. Herbarium specimens vital for identification checks. 6/2/2016 5:56 PM

158 The rich, most significant Herbarium collection in Australia which is essential for any botanical research undertaken 6/2/2016 5:52 PM on the Australian flora especially for its early collections and richness in type specimens

159 Cyperaceae I'm researching it now. 6/2/2016 5:12 PM

160 The large numer of specimens from all over the world, but mainly the Australian ones, and also the historical 6/2/2016 5:10 PM material.

161 Access to well-curated herbarium specimens assist with historical research and the curation of specimens 6/2/2016 5:06 PM (duplicates) held at the institution for which I am the collection manager.

162 All pressed specimens, an integral part in research for Australia and overseas research projects. 6/2/2016 5:01 PM

163 Collections for taxonomic research Collections for comparison with AD holdings since a number in AD are 6/2/2016 5:00 PM duplicates of MEL Library - letters between botanists

164 hard to find publications, manuscripts by botanists 6/2/2016 4:52 PM

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165 Non-native plants (weeds) 6/2/2016 4:35 PM

166 Herbarium specimens 6/2/2016 4:33 PM

167 Specially Terminalia L. species because I am working on genus Terminalia L. 6/2/2016 4:32 PM

168 Library and botanical specimens (equally important) 6/2/2016 4:15 PM

169 Botanical collections, including type specimens 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

170 The historical collections from Captain James Cook's voyages. 6/2/2016 4:09 PM

171 herbarium 6/2/2016 4:08 PM

172 Botanic Art Collection; JStor; Historical items 6/2/2016 4:02 PM

173 Mainly the book collection, as we borrow on inter library loan for our patrons 6/2/2016 4:01 PM

174 Anything associated with the early plant collectors or the early landscaping of the R.B.G 6/2/2016 3:59 PM

175 The Herbarium Collection - to support scientific research 6/2/2016 3:59 PM

176 herbarium specimens 6/2/2016 3:46 PM

177 Historical records on the early Germans involved in collecting and other roles, especially Mueller 6/2/2016 3:45 PM

178 The herbarium specimens. My students and I use these for research in the field of systematic botany and 6/2/2016 3:35 PM conservation.

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Q10 If any, what important people, activities, places, events or themes do you associate with the State Botanical Collection?

Answered: 134 Skipped: 66

# Responses Date

1 The librarian who facilitates viewing of specific themes in the botanical art collection, or loaning art work for 7/1/2016 3:45 PM exhibitions when sought, as well as any herbarium staff who can assist me with specimen identification when required. The wider public can view items from the SBC at exhibitions.

2 Ferdinand von Mueller and his international correspondents; Continuing botanical systematics research; Ecological 6/30/2016 9:35 PM and biogeographical research; Contemporary educational outreach, especially, but not only, through the living collections at South Yarra and Cranbourne; General historical associations, for example commemorartion of separation of Victoria as a seperate colony; leadership in responses to climate change, through both research and education, including demonstration and experimental garden plantings suited to evolving conditions; An important symbol of Australian biological reseaerc internationally.

3 Late F. R. M. Wilson, Rex Filson, P. M. McCarthy, checklist of Australian lichens 6/30/2016 6:30 PM

4 Herbarium staff and some of the Herbarium Associates 6/30/2016 3:08 PM

5 Ferdinand von Mueller, PJ Murphy (Patricia), Stella Bedggood, B. Strange (Bonnie), JH Willis, Neville Walsh, Celia 6/29/2016 11:00 PM Rosser, Valerie Richards, Sir Joseph Banks, Pina Milne, etc....

6 Baron F. von Mueller collections and his botanical relationships 6/29/2016 10:53 PM

7 People: Ferdinand von Mueller (and his vast number of collectors), Jim Willis, Jim Ross. Activities: journal 6/29/2016 11:42 AM Muelleria, Flora of Victoria, Mueller Correspondence Project.

8 The number and variety of people who represent the continuum of research and passion for plants. 6/29/2016 11:16 AM

9 Native orchid conservation 6/29/2016 9:57 AM

10 Mueller 6/29/2016 9:27 AM

11 David Cantrill and CHAH 6/29/2016 7:09 AM

12 Ferd. Mueller 6/29/2016 6:32 AM

13 Excellence in collecting and archiving the flora of Australia 6/29/2016 5:56 AM

14 Ferdinand von Mueller 6/29/2016 12:46 AM

15 Particularly J H Willis for collecting botanical correspondence 6/28/2016 9:18 PM

16 Ferdinand von Mueller for his collecting and describing of Australian species and connection and encouragement of 6/28/2016 7:24 PM collectors and scientists all over Australia. Also his role in the publication of Flora Australiensis.

17 Good research staff and excellent creational staff, data managers and innovative collaborations 6/28/2016 4:48 PM

18 Mueller of course. It is a National collection - in the sense of Australia - with a very significant international 6/28/2016 3:55 PM collections

19 Science and Art 6/28/2016 3:47 PM

20 Development of regional botanic and other gardens, cultural landscapes, biographical information about scientists 6/28/2016 3:28 PM and curators, personal connection with Frederick Pitcher, early curator RBG

21 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, William Guilfoyle, oldest herbarium in Australia, botanical exploration of Australia, 6/28/2016 3:26 PM

22 Mueller, Willis, Flora of Victoria, current staff (many are important in various contexts), the gamut of herbarium 6/28/2016 3:25 PM operations, the living collection, Australian biodiversity, fungal collection

23 Plant identification service. 6/28/2016 3:21 PM

24 RBG Melbourne and Cranbourne, The National Herbarium, Melbourne. Pina Milne 6/28/2016 3:18 PM

25 von Mueller, Flora of Victoria, Historical records and a benchmark for change (botanically) 6/28/2016 3:02 PM

26 Librarian Sally Stewart 6/28/2016 3:00 PM

27 My collaborators Pina Milne (collections manager), Teresa Lebel (mycologist), Neville Walsh (senior botanist) and 6/28/2016 8:54 AM Val Stajisc (field botanist).

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28 Botanical art. Herbarium plant collection. Access to Library 6/23/2016 6:43 PM

29 Historical botanists such as F. Mueller 6/21/2016 1:16 PM

30 a/a 6/20/2016 2:17 PM

31 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller history of botany, Australian exploration, impact of European settlement botanical 6/18/2016 6:30 PM collectors and artists

32 Ferdinand von Mueller, Neville Walsh, Victorian botany (both temporal and spatial), historical collections, foreign 6/15/2016 6:31 PM material

33 Scientific research, taxonomy, plant systematics, collections based research, historical and contemporary 6/15/2016 11:18 AM collections, biogeography, data and databases, type specimens, regional collections, scientists, botanists.

34 I regularly consult N.G.Walsh and the Library staff ( now Sally Stewart ) 6/15/2016 11:00 AM

35 Taxonomy, systematics, vascular plants, bryology, mycology 6/14/2016 12:28 PM

36 Mueller. Preservation of specimens, vital for research David Cantrell Tim Entwisle 6/13/2016 3:20 PM

37 Expeditions organized by Ferdinand von Mueller. Also, collections of Stephen Johnson, W.A. Sayer, Froggatt 6/13/2016 11:25 AM

38 All the well known and famous botanists and plant collectors are represented in the State Botanical Collection. e.g. 6/11/2016 10:48 AM Banks, Solander, Brown, Bentham, Beauglehole etc

39 von Muller 6/10/2016 3:38 PM

40 Historical collectors of specimens 6/10/2016 1:23 PM

41 None 6/10/2016 10:49 AM

42 Ferdinand Mueller, Jim Willis, Jim Ross, Tim Entwisle, David Cantrill, Dan Murphy, Pina Milne, Jeff Jeanes - some 6/9/2016 6:07 PM colleagues and people I admire.

43 Ferdinand Mueller; Helen Aston, Neville Walsh. The Flora of Victoria. Very well annotated type collection. 6/9/2016 1:51 PM Contributions to Flora of Australia (e.g. Ranunculaceae)

44 herbarium staff, botanists, and other scientists. 6/9/2016 12:18 PM

45 Mueller, history of Australian botany, history of early explorers 6/9/2016 10:19 AM

46 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, particularly for his correspondence with contemporaries in the northern hemisphere 6/9/2016 9:09 AM during a period of early botanical exploration of Australia as a whole. The herbarium preserves this period of cultural and scientific history in its collections.

47 Taxonomic Revisions of orchid species Conservation of orchid species 6/9/2016 3:59 AM

48 Ferdinand von Mueller in particular. Most of the old specimens pre-1878 are very significant because they were 6/8/2016 7:10 PM examined by Bentham at RBG Kew when writing 'Flora australiensis'. MEL also has significant collections such as Sonder's worldwide herbarium and specimens from many early expeditions, e.g. Leichhardt, Gregory Expedn, Victorian Expdn.

49 taxonomic research, systematics, von Mueller, Jim Willis, Maisie Carr, Pauline Ladiges, species conservation, 6/8/2016 7:03 PM Botanical Art, Neville Walsh,

50 Mueller, Cunningham, Brown, Dallachy, plus many more 6/8/2016 10:35 AM

51 As a researcher the most importnat person associated with the Botanical Collection is the Collections Manager 6/8/2016 9:37 AM

52 Australia-wide herbarium collections for their botanical (taxonomic) and historical value The best botanical library in 6/7/2016 8:10 PM Australia Past and present staff as part of the Australian botanical community, and their contribution to advancing our knowledge of the flora

53 Mueller and those who subsequently enriched MEL and the RBG library and archives. Toooooooo many to name 6/7/2016 4:12 PM

54 I always associate the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller with the Melbourne botanical collection 6/7/2016 2:34 PM

55 Ferdinand von Mueller Plant collecting in Australia Specimen exchanges with New Zealand herbaria 6/7/2016 12:42 PM

56 There are too many to type into this box 6/7/2016 10:29 AM

57 All Australian localities of plant collections. 6/7/2016 4:52 AM

58 Val Stasjic, Neville Walsh, other identifications botanists in the past. Also regually read the journal Muellaria. Also 6/6/2016 7:12 PM visit bot gardens with my family

59 von Mueller and his acquisitions, guided walks for the public to view the State bot. collection, maps showing the 6/6/2016 4:27 PM development of the Gardens, the collection of old photos, the many books papers and articles about the history of the Gardens.

60 Nineteenth century botanical collectors 6/6/2016 12:55 PM

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61 Neville Walsh and Val Stajsic 6/6/2016 12:01 PM

62 The herbarium for its historical collection of Mueller specimens and the Victorian flora, the curatorial staff for their 6/6/2016 11:37 AM excellent herbarium management practices, research botanical staff for their knowledge on various plant groups.

63 G.H. Cunningham is the most important that relates directly to my work, and J.A. Cooper's collections for modern 6/6/2016 11:16 AM collections for DNA.

64 I think of all the great botanists past and present which have been associated with the herbarium from Von Mueller 6/6/2016 11:13 AM to Jim Willis to Neville Walsh to Val Stajic and what they have contributed to our understanding of victorias flora. Also John Reid for the encouragement he gave me to continue collection specimens for the herbarium and making me feel that I was making a worth while contribution.

65 Sally Stewart, Tim Entwisle, RBG volunteers, Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, 6/6/2016 10:34 AM Moonlight Cinema, Shakespeare Plays, nature, conservation, botany, history.

66 Mostly because it was Mueller's host institution. 6/6/2016 10:27 AM

67 F. von Mueller, Prof Ewart, J. Willis the recording of introduced plants 6/5/2016 10:39 AM

68 Alfred Tadgell 6/4/2016 11:20 PM

69 Jim Willis, Jean Galbraith, Winifred Waddell plus many themes 6/4/2016 9:18 PM

70 I have used the Willis archive for correspondence and information on naturalists Jean Galbraith and Winifred 6/4/2016 8:57 PM Waddell As a historian, I have used the botanical art collection

71 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller 6/4/2016 2:41 PM

72 Guilfoyle, von mueller 6/3/2016 10:52 PM

73 F. Mueller, L. Leichhardt, botanists and collectors of 19th century Australian exploring expeditions and Australian 6/3/2016 6:36 PM naturalists of the 19th century.

74 herbarium 6/3/2016 6:06 PM

75 early Australian collectors, early European collectors who worked in Australia 6/3/2016 5:48 PM

76 Exhibitions 6/3/2016 4:38 PM

77 Dr Tom May Dr Theresa Lebel Dr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher Taxonomy Fungi Map Fungal conservation - red 6/3/2016 2:55 PM listing.

78 Type collections of Ferdinand Mueller. 6/3/2016 2:48 PM

79 Ferdinand von Mueller, George Bentham, Flora Australiensis, Neville Walsh. 6/3/2016 1:22 PM

80 Information managers and library staff 6/3/2016 1:12 PM

81 Von Mueller 6/3/2016 12:59 PM

82 Herman Montague Rucker Rupp Von Mueller 6/3/2016 12:45 PM

83 Collection managers 6/3/2016 12:15 PM

84 Mueller - one of the pioneers of scientific botanical collection and description in Australia, and founder of the 6/3/2016 12:13 PM herbarium. Jim Willis - a great twentieh century botanist and Flora writer, vital to university students studying botany in the 1960s and 1970s. Walsh & Entwistle - botanists and editors of the recent comprehensive Flora of Victoria. This is the best flora published in Australia. Tom May for Fungimap, and also the electronic guide to identifying fungi FunKey.

85 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller 6/3/2016 12:13 PM

86 Neville Walsh, Val Stajsic,Catherine Gallagher 6/3/2016 12:12 PM

87 researchers, curators 6/3/2016 12:06 PM

88 Ferdinand Mueller, and his contribution to Australian botany; type specimens of significant numbers of Australian 6/3/2016 11:58 AM plant species; importance to Australian botany both historically and botanically; library collection is significant for rare and important books and journals.

89 Mueller and all of his connections 6/3/2016 11:58 AM

90 Research, plant systematics 6/3/2016 11:55 AM

91 Research, curation, and participation in conferences etc. of the scientific community. 6/3/2016 11:21 AM

92 I am interested in the people: the plant collectors, the botanists who encourage(d) the artists, the Maud Gibson 6/3/2016 11:06 AM Trust, the artists themselves, history of the gardens...

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93 Neville Walsh is important to me as a collaborator. Joanne Birch is important for providing me with genetic 6/3/2016 10:57 AM information. Tom May is important in providing deeply considered views on botany and its relevance to humans' impact on (and enjoyment of) the natural world. The curation staff are important to me because they facilitate my visits to the main specimen collection and make sure the collection in kept in good order and documented for online data access. The lunchtime seminars are important to keep me informed about what is happening in botanical (and related) subjects. The ID staff and the reference collection are very important for training young botanists, as they were for me.

94 research 6/3/2016 10:52 AM

95 None 6/3/2016 10:48 AM

96 Ferdinand Mueller, early collecting history, women collectors, support of botanical artists through history 6/3/2016 9:54 AM

97 Early Australian botanical collectors 6/3/2016 9:38 AM

98 People: Ferdinand von Mueller; Jim Willis Activities: botanical research; fungi research and online tools; Places: the 6/3/2016 8:41 AM botanic gardens, its collections and landscapes. Themes: contribution to national leadership in botanical collection management, information management and research.

99 Taxonomic experts, authors of important books/articles, historical context for old collections and artworks. 6/3/2016 8:35 AM

100 Ecological diatom records 6/3/2016 8:23 AM

101 The historical herbarium specimens are especially importance since they are preserved samples that represent 6/3/2016 5:48 AM species that may no longer be extant or now have greatly reduced distributions. One cannot think about the historical collections with out understanding something about the people who collected them, which adds another dimension to our understanding of biodiversity. Another important aspect of the herbarium is the collaborative and collegial interactions that take place between staff at our respective institutions. The ability to exchange information and specimens as well as provide support for research projects is critical to progress in learning about and understanding global biodiversity.

102 Ferdinand von Mueller 6/3/2016 5:16 AM

103 Sonder Herbarium 6/2/2016 11:54 PM

104 Don't know it that well 6/2/2016 11:25 PM

105 The curators - especially Dr Josephine Milne. The librarian - Sally Stewart. 6/2/2016 11:12 PM

106 It was particularly beneficial to talk with Neville Walsh 6/2/2016 10:49 PM

107 archive 6/2/2016 10:10 PM

108 Bauer Sieber Mueller Brown R. Preiss Sonder Port Jackson, Botany Bay, Blue Mountains 6/2/2016 10:03 PM

109 von Mueller, Mary Bate, Edward Reader, Mt Dromedary 6/2/2016 9:51 PM

110 Ferdinand von Mueller James Drummond's expeditions Barnard Clarkson's expeditions Charles Harper's exeditions 6/2/2016 8:09 PM Ernest Giles' expeditions George Maxwell's gatherings William and Lucy Webb's gatherings Andrew Dempster's gatherings Campbell, Charlotte and Kate Taylor's gatherings Henry Stuart Carey's gatherings Sarah and John Brook's gatherings John Batt's gatherings

111 Mueller, but also some of the more recent collectors. Places = SE Australia. 6/2/2016 7:54 PM

112 Staff provided invaluable assistance and time on my limited time when I visited Melbourne. 6/2/2016 7:14 PM

113 Its an amazing historical record of the explorers of early Australia. 6/2/2016 6:50 PM

114 Banks, Solander, von Mueller, Burke and Wills, Guilfoyle, Moors, Entwisle 6/2/2016 6:46 PM

115 Curators,historians and taxonomists 6/2/2016 6:29 PM

116 Jim Willis, Mueller 6/2/2016 6:28 PM

117 Tim Enwisle, Neville Walsh, education, research, community engagement 6/2/2016 6:23 PM

118 Mueller; Neville Walsh Jim Willis Val Stasjic Tim Entwisle 6/2/2016 5:58 PM

119 The plant kingdom is vital for humanity's survival, and wellbeing generally. The Herbarium and Gardens are a 6/2/2016 5:56 PM significant resource for professional botanists and interested amateurs who keenly recognise this deep connection, and are part of a global network seeking to more fully understand, and more widely promote the vital role that plants play in all our lives.

120 Important data on early Australian plant collectors especially the 19th Century 6/2/2016 5:52 PM

121 Ferdinand von Mueller, early exploration of the Australia flora, modern research, taxonomic skills, large databases 6/2/2016 5:10 PM

122 Historical botanic collections from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; early regional collectors and 6/2/2016 5:06 PM botanists, e.g. Holtze (M, N, W), Schultze, Mueller, CEF Allen.

24 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

123 Neville Walsh and Val Stajsic are very important with assistance to the taxonomy of Victorian flora. Their 6/2/2016 5:01 PM assistance to field naturalist groups and work with scientists with collections and knowledge about Victorian flora.

124 Probably first and foremost Mueller and his myriad of associations, ranging from other botanists (global) to his 6/2/2016 5:00 PM collectors and the expeditions he was associated with. But perhaps it is time to highlight some of the other very important collections held by MEL.

125 von Mueller, Guilfoyle 6/2/2016 4:52 PM

126 Nil 6/2/2016 4:32 PM

127 Von Mueller, Guilfoyle 6/2/2016 4:15 PM

128 Scientific research, repository of hugely important scientific materials, professional colleagues 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

129 It is an important collection of the early natural heritage, cultural heritage and anthropological studies 6/2/2016 4:09 PM

130 Neville walsh, herbarium 6/2/2016 4:08 PM

131 Mueller; Mueller's ladies; Ellis Stones; co-digitising of collection with Museum Australia; digitising to JStor; 6/2/2016 4:02 PM collection of old and current artwork and it's application to our knowledge (e.g. Malcolm Howie).

132 William Guilfoyle Baron Von Mueller Charles LaTrobe 6/2/2016 3:59 PM

133 Mueller 6/2/2016 3:46 PM

134 Baron Ferdinand von Mueller and his German associates 6/2/2016 3:45 PM

25 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q11 Thinking about the significance of the State Botanical Collection, how strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Answered: 172 Skipped: 28

It reminds me of important...

It reminds me of important...

It represents patterns in...

It represents patterns in...

I appreciate the artistic...

It supports scientific...

It holds potential to...

It holds potential to...

I am part of a group that...

I am involved in the...

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Strongly Agree Neither Disagree Strongly Don't Total Weighted agree agree nor disagree know/No Average disagree opinion

It reminds me of important people, events or places 48.84% 27.91% 15.12% 2.33% 0.00% 5.81% in Australia’s past. 84 48 26 4 0 10 172 1.94

It reminds me of important people, events or places 33.14% 30.23% 25.00% 5.23% 0.00% 6.40% globally. 57 52 43 9 0 11 172 2.28

It represents patterns in Australia’s natural 68.60% 26.16% 2.33% 0.58% 0.00% 2.33% environment or cultural history. 118 45 4 1 0 4 172 1.44

It represents patterns in natural environment or 54.65% 34.30% 6.40% 0.58% 0.00% 4.07% cultural world history. 94 59 11 1 0 7 172 1.69

I appreciate the artistic or design excellence 30.23% 33.14% 16.86% 0.00% 0.00% 19.77% represented in its items of botanical art. 52 57 29 0 0 34 172 2.66

It supports scientific research into aspects of the 81.40% 15.12% 2.33% 0.00% 0.00% 1.16% natural environment. 140 26 4 0 0 2 172 1.26

It holds potential to enrich our understanding of 83.14% 12.79% 1.74% 0.00% 0.00% 2.33% Australia’s natural or cultural history into the future. 143 22 3 0 0 4 172 1.28

It holds potential to yield further information on 73.26% 21.51% 1.74% 0.00% 0.00% 3.49% natural or cultural world history into the future. 126 37 3 0 0 6 172 1.42

26 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

I am part of a group that appreciates, and keeps alive, 25.58% 31.98% 23.84% 1.16% 2.91% 14.53% stories that can be told through the State Botanical 44 55 41 2 5 25 172 2.67 Collection.

I am involved in the scientific research or study of 43.60% 23.84% 16.28% 7.56% 2.33% 6.40% items in the State Botanical Collection. 75 41 28 13 4 11 172 2.20

27 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q12 Have you accessed or consulted other herbarium or botanical collections?

Answered: 172 Skipped: 28

Yes

No

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Answer Choices Responses

Yes 83.14% 143

No 16.86% 29

Total 172

28 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q13 What sets the State Botanical Collection apart from other collections you have accessed or consulted?

Answered: 119 Skipped: 81

# Responses Date

1 Local Australian content, as would be expected I suppose. Online sources are easy to access but when it comes to 7/1/2016 3:49 PM plant identification, nothing can beat consulting a botanical expert face to face, who in turn, has access to specimens in the herbarium

2 The Melbourne herbarium collection is especially rich, with a wide ranging international collection that makes many 6/30/2016 9:42 PM comparative studies much easier to conduct within this single collection, but, by their nature, each collection, especially their archives and herbarium components, is a unique set of holdings, and the lack of access to any one diminishes understanding of both scientific and cultural topics at national and international levels.

3 Early Australian collections and many species are better represented than in Canberra, Sydney or anywhere 6/30/2016 6:34 PM

4 Professionalism, historical nature of the collections. 6/30/2016 3:10 PM

5 Compared to other Australian collections, the National Herbarium of Victoria holds a vast number of historical 6/29/2016 11:47 AM specimens & types from Australia and also overseas. The presence of a molecular lab on site also means that both traditional and modern research can be carried out at the same location.

6 Focus on Australia and nearby Pacific regions 6/29/2016 8:37 AM

7 It has a very rich historical collection of specimens, and it holds many NZ specimens which have mainly been 6/29/2016 7:13 AM accumulated by exchanges over a long time.

8 the connectedness of botanical science with the cultural history 6/29/2016 6:44 AM

9 Excellence in Australia and Australian Collections 6/29/2016 5:58 AM

10 The richness of is Mueller-related collections - manuscripts, books, journals and herbarium specimens 6/29/2016 12:48 AM

11 Age, size and depth of collections. 6/28/2016 7:30 PM

12 The high quality of how they are curated, the data managed and staff support. 6/28/2016 4:50 PM

13 Well curated and easily accessible; important historical collections being continuously added to; the library 6/28/2016 3:58 PM

14 Volume of specimens, local content, international content, art collection 6/28/2016 3:49 PM

15 Along with Sydney, Melbourne's collections are the oldest, most comprehensive and important botanical collections 6/28/2016 3:29 PM in Australia if not the Southern hemisphere. Its collections contribute to the research & understanding of Victoria & Australia's scientific, historical & cultural contributions.

16 Its particular historical collections, strong collections in some taxonomic groups, its role as the principal plant 6/28/2016 3:25 PM diversity collection of the State, its strong representation of the State within a broader collection of Australian and worldwide specimens

17 The type specimens, the heritage and dedication of its botanists, the value of the collection 6/28/2016 3:19 PM

18 Main collection; Reference collection 6/28/2016 3:04 PM

19 It's extremely well managed and maintained. 6/28/2016 8:56 AM

20 regional & taxonomic specialty 6/28/2016 4:48 AM

21 Old herbarium historical collections, particularly collections and types of F. Mueller. 6/21/2016 1:19 PM

22 No other state holds such an extensive collection of botanical specimens collected by John McDouall Stuart & F.G. 6/20/2016 2:23 PM Waterhouse

23 Size and comprehensiveness of Australian collections. Richness and age of overseas collections. Multi-media 6/18/2016 6:33 PM content of collections i.e. print, object, original art, photograph, recording etc.

24 Good collection from the region/state where it is located. 6/15/2016 11:19 AM

25 Is more likely to have a lot of material from Victoria 6/15/2016 11:05 AM

26 Digitally accessible 6/14/2016 12:30 PM

27 No opinion 6/13/2016 11:27 AM

28 The large number of Type collections and important historical collections amongst the preserved plants. 6/11/2016 10:51 AM

29 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

29 The place of von Mueller in international collecting and identification networks. 6/10/2016 3:41 PM

30 It is a major part of Australia's plant collections but in particular Victorian plants. 6/10/2016 1:24 PM

31 MEL seems to have the best coverage of Australia, the specimens are also well curated 6/9/2016 9:23 PM

32 It has the most representative global botanical collection of any institution in Australia, thanks to the purchase of 6/9/2016 6:12 PM the Sonder collection (in the 19th century?). It has the best collection of Victorian species. It contains many type specimens.

33 Outstanding nineteenth century collections from Mueller's time throughout Australia. Best collection anywhere of 6/9/2016 1:58 PM the Victorian flora..

34 large marine plants collections, well organized and databased specimens. knowledgeable staff. 6/9/2016 12:20 PM

35 Significant early botanical collections and correspondence, large size of the collection, cryptogamic expertise, high 6/9/2016 10:22 AM standards of curation and documentation.

36 The historical context within which the collection is embedded. 6/9/2016 9:13 AM

37 Specialized collections from different sites and habitats within the state specifically. I am also aware of a Papuan 6/9/2016 4:01 AM collection but have not accessed it.

38 Unique heritage from Mueller's time; present significance as having the best coverage of Victorian plants, and 6/8/2016 7:13 PM botanists carrying out research on those species and related species elsewhere.

39 Various species for 6/8/2016 7:04 PM

40 its collection of specimens from early Australian botanists especially northern Australia 6/8/2016 10:36 AM

41 Historical collections that it holds and the breadth of its collections across not only Victoria, but also Australia and 6/8/2016 9:39 AM across the world.

42 Excellent collections of Australia's native plant species 6/8/2016 4:19 AM

43 It holds specimens and archives not represented in any other Australian herbarium, and literature not available 6/7/2016 8:13 PM elsewhere in Australia

44 it's collections are HUGE, some very old 6/7/2016 4:15 PM

45 Sydney Collection Canberra Collection Queensland Collection 6/7/2016 2:36 PM

46 Its focus on Victoria's plants, and its collections of type specimens. 6/7/2016 12:45 PM

47 Strong specimen coverage of Victoria 6/7/2016 12:25 PM

48 It is a significant part of the whole of botanical collections throughout the world. Most of the specimens it holds are 6/7/2016 10:32 AM unique and contribute to the overall pageant of knowledge.

49 The Australian collections from all parts of the country. 6/7/2016 4:55 AM

50 A collection of plants for SE Australia and other parts of Aust. Flora of Vic was one of few states of Aust with 6/6/2016 7:16 PM comprehensive coverage of the states flora. Now this is all online but not as good as Plantnet

51 Very important collection of the Victorian flora and also historical collections from early Australian botanists like 6/6/2016 5:51 PM Ferdinand von Mueller and his collectors.

52 Its specific history and collections 6/6/2016 12:56 PM

53 Tasmanian collection 6/6/2016 12:02 PM

54 Recent and historical collections, especially of Australian fungal flora. 6/6/2016 11:18 AM

55 Same as 6/6/2016 10:50 AM

56 Significant library collection with a rich history. 6/6/2016 10:35 AM

57 breadth 6/5/2016 11:37 PM

58 Its range 6/5/2016 10:41 AM

59 it contains major collections of plants from Australia 6/4/2016 4:57 AM

60 The botanical collections. 6/4/2016 12:06 AM

61 The size, breadth and depth of its holdings 6/3/2016 10:54 PM

62 It is especially rich in collections relating to pioneering research and documentation of the Australian flora from 6/3/2016 6:42 PM 1850 onwards, reflecting the key role played by Ferdinand Mueller, his vast array of connections across Australia and overseas (especially then centres of botanical taxonomic research) and his prolific output.

63 Euphrasia specimens 6/3/2016 6:08 PM

64 Herbaria of Kew, B, K, P, ecc. 6/3/2016 6:07 PM

30 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

65 it has historical materials important for my research that are not found elsewhere 6/3/2016 5:49 PM

66 My own state makes it more accessable 6/3/2016 4:41 PM

67 Loan of specimens very efficiently done. All enquiries quickly and fully answered. Specimens readily accessible and 6/3/2016 2:53 PM very nice facilities for the study of the specimens. Staff helpful.

68 The extent of its data availability. Physical accessibility (it's the closest Herbarium to mine). Its close association 6/3/2016 1:23 PM with early efforts to describe the Australia flora.

69 The library holds a very good and diverse collection of books, journals, archival and research material (probably the 6/3/2016 1:19 PM best in Australia) and would be a valuable resource not only for local staff, but is a well accessed and valuable resource for similar interstate research bodies that engage in reciprocal exchange of information.

70 It's material on the early history of Australia's botany, which was pretty much Melbourne based for much of the 6/3/2016 1:03 PM nineteenth century

71 The comprehensive nature of its Australia-wide collection; the high standard of curation; the availability of collection 6/3/2016 12:17 PM data electronically; the knowledge of the staff; the community outreach and accessibility.

72 Its large algal collection 6/3/2016 12:17 PM

73 Compares favourably with the Sydney herbarium. 6/3/2016 12:16 PM

74 Depth of history of Australian collections. National focus. International collections. 6/3/2016 12:15 PM

75 a different range of taxa that makes it complementary to other collections 6/3/2016 12:08 PM

76 The large number of type specimens of Australian species; the information held on various databases about the 6/3/2016 12:04 PM botanical collections in the herbarium; the easy access to correspondence and other archived materials that involve Ferdinand Mueller and how it can be located through the databases and library catalogues.

77 the history and range of the collection 6/3/2016 12:00 PM

78 The possession of types that are only held by MEL, its focus on Victoria, and its historical importance and relatively 6/3/2016 11:24 AM old age in this young country.

79 I have spent time at the Library at Kew Gardens, which I think the Melbourne Gardens library emulates, but on a 6/3/2016 11:08 AM much smaller level.

80 The size of the specimen collection 6/3/2016 11:00 AM

81 Strength in Victorian collections 6/3/2016 10:52 AM

82 It's particular history, collection of botanical art 6/3/2016 9:55 AM

83 Its scope - it is a very large collection by Australian standards 6/3/2016 9:41 AM

84 Its large size. Proportionally large collection of historical specimens and other objects. 6/3/2016 8:43 AM

85 Although I have never actually visited the herbarium, I have interacted with some of the staff. All of these 6/3/2016 5:54 AM interactions have been collegial and beneficial to both of our institutions.

86 size, organisation, management 6/3/2016 5:21 AM

87 Well organized. 6/3/2016 4:05 AM

88 Its unique mostly historical collections. 6/3/2016 2:00 AM

89 Regional representation of flora 6/3/2016 12:23 AM

90 It is unique in both its historical and contemporary collections, and it is backed by an excellent library and art 6/2/2016 11:55 PM collections

91 It has some unique records 6/2/2016 11:26 PM

92 Strong holdings of specimens from Victoria 6/2/2016 10:51 PM

93 The wealth of historical and current botanical collections from Australia 6/2/2016 10:19 PM

94 not yet 6/2/2016 10:11 PM

95 Rich collections, dedicated staff. 6/2/2016 9:41 PM

96 It contains unique herbarium specimens 6/2/2016 8:13 PM

97 Every herbarium collection is (obviously and by definition) unique, and the State Botanical Collection contains 6/2/2016 7:57 PM (many, many) objects not held elsewhere.

98 it is relevant to the state of Victoria 6/2/2016 7:28 PM

99 It provided me with very specific information about plants specific people and correspondence . 6/2/2016 7:20 PM

100 Easier to access the information due to my geographical location. 6/2/2016 6:58 PM

31 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

101 Its age, range, importance in a historical context, value in the study of climate change and other environmental 6/2/2016 6:51 PM factors, and as an indicator of biodiversity losses

102 Quantity of collections and facilities in herbarium building 6/2/2016 6:38 PM

103 Size and scope of collection. High quality of research and education associated with this institution and its 6/2/2016 6:33 PM relationship to Melbourne University which I consider has the strongest traditions and current programs in plant science in Australia.

104 Diversity, Australian material, good preservation, good curation, old foreign material, friendly staff 6/2/2016 6:25 PM

105 The extent of its historical collections 6/2/2016 6:17 PM

106 Size (= breadth of geographic + taxonomic representation) Victorian relevance 6/2/2016 6:00 PM

107 Age - often holds historically important collections eg: collections from early explorations plus types 6/2/2016 6:00 PM

108 Large collections, good number of new accessions, activ fied work, large specimen databases 6/2/2016 5:12 PM

109 The number of plant collections relating to early Australian exploration and Ferdinand Mueller - the number of type 6/2/2016 5:08 PM specimens in MEL relating to this factor - not just Victorian but Australia-wide

110 helpful staffr 6/2/2016 4:53 PM

111 Its focus is on plants of Victoria = 6/2/2016 4:36 PM

112 It is uniquely Victorian and is relatively speaking an old institution, it maintains very large collections of plant and 6/2/2016 4:17 PM library materials

113 Preparedness to check uncatalogued collections 6/2/2016 4:17 PM

114 It is \ the major repositories of Victoria botanical heritage and of course primary material of world significance eg 6/2/2016 4:12 PM some of Captain Cook's collection.

115 its the Victorian Flora 6/2/2016 4:09 PM

116 Other collections were at Sydney University as part of my tertiary studies - so knowledge- specific to the course. 6/2/2016 4:05 PM State Botanical Collection has a much wider scope.

117 High standard of curation & collection management Online Vicflora Excellent database Staff! 6/2/2016 4:03 PM

118 It is on a level with the world's best institutions, but needs greater funding. 6/2/2016 3:49 PM

119 Uniqueness, quality of preservation, completeness of representation of flora 6/2/2016 3:37 PM

32 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q14 Is there anything else you would like to add?

Answered: 67 Skipped: 133

# Responses Date

1 I would really love to have access to the library book collection, on a restricted basis - i.e. to be accessed only in 7/1/2016 3:59 PM the library. My experience is that these reference sources are unavailable through public libraries, and any they do have are Not For Loan, useless if you don't live near the base library. There is, inmy opinion, a great need for a purpose built exhibition centre for displaying items from the collection - be it herbarium specimens or art works in the Botanical Collection. So much interesting material that the public never sees. If such a building was to be constructed, with galleries, reading areas, workshop area, etc, this would serve to connect the valuable collection with the Botanic Gardens themselves

2 The importance of the State Botanical Collection is a finction of its age and its importance in the 19th Century. 6/30/2016 9:49 PM Periods of neglect in the early 20th Century damaged its utility for some years, but more recently its significance as a scientific institution has been restored, and along with that function its historical, cultural, and indeed recreational, value has also been enhanced.

3 The most important thing is that the collections will be accessible even to foreigners somewhere, and outgoing 6/30/2016 6:37 PM loans are possible

4 I would love to see more staff curating the collections. There are still so many specimens as yet uncatalogued- so 6/29/2016 11:05 PM much information as yet unsearchable and thus unconsidered.

5 I wish simply emphasize the value of our botanical collections for the past and future knowledge of our Earth 6/29/2016 10:59 PM

6 Good management of the State's natural areas relies on the knowledge held in the State herbarium 6/29/2016 7:19 AM

7 The collections are priceless because they can never be recollected from the same time and place. The record of 6/29/2016 5:59 AM the existence of that plant in that place at that time is very important for climate research and for dealing with the effects of climate change.

8 The State Botanical Collection of Victoria is world class. 6/28/2016 4:51 PM

9 MEL is an internationally significant collection: herbarium, library and artwork. 6/28/2016 4:04 PM

10 The Botanical collection of Victoria is very important and can be considered part of our heritage (holding scientific, 6/28/2016 3:33 PM historical, aesthetic and social values). It is essential that government and other organisations support its future by providing a secure repository that maintains existing and future collections.

11 Institutions such as the National Herbarium of Victoria aka State Botanical Collection at Royal Botanic Gardens 6/28/2016 3:30 PM Victoria (MEL) are and should be valued as the pre-eminent source of information and reference on Victorian plant (bio)diversity. They should be funded accordingly. It is also important that they are not forced to be parochial in their botanical or scientific endeavours.

12 Both Sydney & Melbourne Botanic Garden Libraries are important cultural collections that need to be protected and 6/28/2016 3:29 PM shared for and with the people of Australia and the world. Within its collections are literally tens of thousands of stories that have the potential to inspire, inform and excite the general public and rekindle an interest in science and in Australia's history and culture.

13 Much of the benefit to me personally is in the Virtual Herbarium and online resources, as it is not convenient for me 6/28/2016 3:23 PM to access the collections directly. However I appreciate all the broader functions of the Collections.

14 I strongly support this important cultural and scientific institution 6/28/2016 3:20 PM

15 Very concerned about lack of plant identification services and lack of taxonomy professionals on staff 6/28/2016 3:05 PM

16 The John McDouall Stuart Society are very appreciative of the herbarium making available digital images and 6/20/2016 2:27 PM information available on AVH

17 The State Botanical Collection of Victoria is a hidden treasure. 6/18/2016 6:34 PM

18 Contributes to understanding of climate change and the effects on viability of plants. 6/13/2016 3:27 PM

19 Additional investment is required in the curation of non-Victorian collections. Geography and names are often 6/13/2016 11:32 AM incorrect, imprecise or outdated (e.g. mountain flora located mapped in river valleys due to use of imprecise coordinates), requiring careful perusal/factchecking of data in Atlas of Living Australia.

20 It would be impossible to put a monetary value on such a significant resource as the State Botanical Collection. 6/11/2016 10:54 AM

21 the State collection is a highly significant part of our history, culture, society and environment. 6/10/2016 1:26 PM

33 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

22 I think the Victorian botanical collection was starved of adequate funding by the Victorian Government for many 6/9/2016 6:15 PM decades. Its funding needs to be further enhanced, given the high value of specimens that were left unincorporated for many years.

23 Helpful staff who make studying the collection more effective on visits to the Herbarium. The work of putting type 6/9/2016 2:04 PM photos and specimen data on-line facilitates studies by all systematic botanists.

24 The resources of the State Botanical Collection and its expert staff directly assist me with my work on a regular 6/9/2016 10:30 AM basis.

25 There is a dangerous and national trend towards downgrading staff and services at Australian botanical gardens in 6/9/2016 4:02 AM general. This is a good place and time to stop it and reverse that trend.

26 This is a unique botanical collection, very important to Australia and globally in understanding and managing 6/8/2016 7:15 PM biodiversity.

27 like to thanks the curators for enabling my visits and taxonomic studies 6/8/2016 10:37 AM

28 The collections team is very professional and when dealing with them, I know that my requests for borrowing 6/8/2016 9:41 AM speciemsn from the collection will be dealt with in an efficient manner.

29 I have used the State Botanical Collection since 1966, through visits, loans of specimens and correspondence with 6/7/2016 8:17 PM staff. Much of my work would have been impossible without access to these resources. This Collection is the most important in Australia.

30 The collection at MEL is particularly well-curated and databased, and the staff are extremely well-informed about 6/7/2016 12:47 PM the collection. It is always easy to access information and specimens from MEL.

31 Identifications service needs additional staff. Val is great but is only one person. To increase reliance on good plant 6/6/2016 7:20 PM identifications with the public and organisations such as consultancies and to allow for citizen scientists to continue to add to the collection, there needs to be more staff. Also needs to be a commitment from RBG/state gov to invest in this still vital service.

32 I have not accessed the collection as a scientist but as a historian and consider the collection vital for its record on 6/4/2016 9:01 PM our botanical history

33 herbarium material from MEL is essential for botanical research both within and outside Australia 6/4/2016 4:58 AM

34 The State Botanical Collection is a highly significant and priceless element in Australia's scientific and cultural 6/3/2016 6:47 PM heritage; it has an indispensable role in helping underpin our scientific and cultural knowledge and understanding of Australia's biological diversity.

35 MEL is one of the last standing collections of global and Australasian significance. While institutions are moving 6/3/2016 5:51 PM towards consolidation and digitization, we must not diminish the value of voucher specimens of which MEL has plenty of.

36 No 6/3/2016 4:42 PM

37 Historical natural history collections underpin our understanding of the world and the specimens and data available 6/3/2016 2:59 PM from these collections to vital to many areas of science. It is necessary these collections are maintained and collectively added to in the future.

38 Loss of my Honorary Research Fellowship due to a bureaucraticdecision after 40 years of the contribution of new 6/3/2016 12:30 PM science and understanding of Victoria's flora.

39 The Melbourne herbarium cooperates fully and shows leadership in organizing the accessibility of herbarium 6/3/2016 12:24 PM collections country-wide through the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria (CHAH) through developing and maintaining flagships like Australian Virtual Herbarium and on-line tools like Australian Plant Census (APC) and Australian Plant Name Index (APNI).

40 I have found the collections managers extremely helpful in finding and accessing items for my research 6/3/2016 12:18 PM

41 I am not sure how easy it is to access the library. I had to make an appointment and was met at the door. I found 6/3/2016 11:12 AM the staff to be most accommodating and helpful once I was in. I want to spend more time there with my current project.

42 This is a highly significant collection, importantly to Australia's scientific and cultural history and identity. 6/3/2016 10:05 AM

43 The Herbarium (MEL) at the State Botanical Collection is a major and internationally important collection of 6/3/2016 3:27 AM preserved plants, containing not only the plants themselves, but an amazing treasure or information about where these plants grow (localities, habitats, etc.), about their phenology (e.g., when they flower and fruit), and other information about their ecology and natural history. In the face of global climate change and development (= habitat destruction), these historical collections take on even greater significance. I would also like to add that the staff at MEL are highly trained and knowledgeable, and they are exceptionally helpful to visiting scientists.

44 The living collection is not only aesthetically valuable it is an important scientific and historical repository 6/3/2016 2:02 AM

45 no 6/2/2016 11:26 PM

34 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

46 Specific aspects of my research would not be possible without the Herbarium's specimen collection. The staff have 6/2/2016 11:17 PM been very helpful and efficient in facilitating my research.

47 Gardens are beautiful. I was not there long enough to fully explore them but they are great. 6/2/2016 10:51 PM

48 Everything in the MEL herbarium was very nicely curated and I keep very good memories of my stay there. Thank 6/2/2016 10:25 PM you very much.

49 no, thanks 6/2/2016 10:12 PM

50 Your collection of original primary source material enriched stories in my recently published book 'Tilba Times 6/2/2016 9:54 PM revisited'.

51 I would be unable to carry out my investigations of the Australian exploration literature without reference to the 6/2/2016 8:15 PM State Botanical Collection of Victoria.

52 The ability, knowledge and help provided by the staff has assisted in the planning and future development of the 6/2/2016 7:28 PM Thurston Gardens in Fiji

53 The collection needs a new or extended home big enough to house its foreseeable growth for the next hundred 6/2/2016 7:25 PM years, with adequate scope for further sideways/upwards expansion as necessary without being subject to limits forced by its location or by adjacent unrelated facilities. A position immediately adjacent to and preferably an extension of the existing Herbarium building would have much to commend it. If the land cannot be provided within the Melbourne Gardens proper, consideration should be given instead to use of part of the large brownfields site held by Museum Victoria at Spotswood. In either case, the new Herbarium should incorporate extensive facilities to foster inter-disciplinary inputs from scientific fields other than botany.

54 I have had the great privilege of working with RBG staff in the past - an enriching and educational experience. 6/2/2016 6:59 PM

55 The herbarium and collections have immense significance for their cultural and scientific importance. They should 6/2/2016 6:43 PM be protected as such under Commonwealth legislation and continue to be maintained and grown as a resource in perpetuity.

56 Very grateful to have had access to the collections for my research 6/2/2016 6:34 PM

57 Vital resource for all Victorians 6/2/2016 6:25 PM

58 MEL is a nationally & internationally important collection, not just restricted to Victoria. 6/2/2016 6:01 PM

59 The rich plant collection in MEL is absolutely essential for any research botanist - the fact that it is now accessible 6/2/2016 5:13 PM through the AVH and types in JSTOR is proving an extra boon in interpretation of many of the older specimens held in AD.

60 physical access could be a problem for some users 6/2/2016 4:55 PM

61 The State Herbarium is a irreplaceable collection of knowledge that should continue to grow and inform 6/2/2016 4:51 PM

62 Only that the institution is hugely significant and important in a global context 6/2/2016 4:20 PM

63 Big thanks to Library and Sally 6/2/2016 4:18 PM

64 It would be good to see the collections more accessible, and better publicised. 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

65 Keep up the great work :) 6/2/2016 4:03 PM

66 This is a fantastic collection and serious scientific institution that must be built upon and diminished in no way. 6/2/2016 3:51 PM

67 An extremely valuable collection without which I could not do my research. 6/2/2016 3:38 PM

35 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

Q15 Would you be willing to be contacted for further information? If so, please provide your contact details here:

Answered: 93 Skipped: 107

Answer Choices Responses

Full name 100.00% 93

Email address 97.85% 91

Telephone number (if within Australia) 66.67% 62

# Full name Date

1 Pam McDiarmid 7/1/2016 3:59 PM

2 Prof Arthur Lucas 6/30/2016 9:49 PM

3 Teuvo Ahti 6/30/2016 6:37 PM

4 Emily Noble 6/29/2016 11:05 PM

5 Chiara Nepi 6/29/2016 10:59 PM

6 Juergen Kellermann 6/29/2016 11:47 AM

7 Ann Cunningham 6/29/2016 11:19 AM

8 Gary D. Wallace 6/29/2016 8:38 AM

9 Ewen K Cameron 6/29/2016 7:19 AM

10 Jörn I. Kohlus 6/29/2016 6:45 AM

11 Vicki Funk 6/29/2016 5:59 AM

12 Professor Rod Home 6/29/2016 12:49 AM

13 Meredith Fletcher 6/28/2016 9:20 PM

14 Helen Cole 6/28/2016 7:33 PM

15 Michelle Waycott 6/28/2016 4:51 PM

16 Marco Duretto 6/28/2016 4:04 PM

17 Mali Wilson 6/28/2016 3:49 PM

18 Janette Hodgson 6/28/2016 3:33 PM

19 Miguel A. Garcia 6/28/2016 3:29 PM

20 Christine Johnson 6/28/2016 3:20 PM

21 Paul Foreman 6/28/2016 3:05 PM

22 Anneke Veenstra 6/28/2016 8:56 AM

23 Margaret Blacker 6/20/2016 2:27 PM

24 Dr Sara Maroske 6/18/2016 6:34 PM

25 Brendan Lepschi 6/15/2016 6:35 PM

26 Heidi Meudt 6/15/2016 11:20 AM

27 R.F.Parsons 6/15/2016 11:07 AM

28 Louisa Murray 6/10/2016 1:26 PM

29 Peter Weston 6/9/2016 6:15 PM

30 Barbara Briggs 6/9/2016 2:04 PM

31 Matt Renner 6/9/2016 9:14 AM

32 Peter Bernhardt 6/9/2016 4:02 AM

36 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

33 Karen Wilson 6/8/2016 7:15 PM

34 Marie Keatley 6/8/2016 7:05 PM

35 Dr Bruce Wannan 6/8/2016 10:37 AM

36 Christine Cargill 6/8/2016 9:41 AM

37 Dr. Jaap J. Vermeulen 6/8/2016 4:20 AM

38 Alexander S. George 6/7/2016 8:17 PM

39 Tanya Hoolihan 6/7/2016 2:36 PM

40 Pat Brownsey 6/7/2016 12:47 PM

41 Andrew Young 6/7/2016 12:26 PM

42 Peter Muller 6/7/2016 12:00 PM

43 Dr Gintaras Kantvilas 6/7/2016 10:33 AM

44 Nic McCaffrey 6/6/2016 7:20 PM

45 Mandy Paul 6/6/2016 12:57 PM

46 Kate Bennetts 6/6/2016 12:03 PM

47 Dylan Osler 6/6/2016 11:15 AM

48 Nicole Kearney 6/6/2016 10:36 AM

49 Matthew Albert 6/4/2016 11:21 PM

50 Meredith Fletcher 6/4/2016 9:20 PM

51 Meredith Fletcher 6/4/2016 9:01 PM

52 Kathleen Pryer 6/4/2016 11:03 AM

53 Dr Laurie Haegi 6/3/2016 6:47 PM

54 Ernst Vitek 6/3/2016 6:09 PM

55 Lawrence Liao 6/3/2016 5:51 PM

56 Miguel de Salas 6/3/2016 1:24 PM

57 Lorrae West 6/3/2016 1:20 PM

58 Bill (W.M.) Molyneux 6/3/2016 12:30 PM

59 Andrew Slee 6/3/2016 12:24 PM

60 Adela Harvey 6/3/2016 12:18 PM

61 Helen Vonow 6/3/2016 12:09 PM

62 Dr John Leslie Dowe 6/3/2016 12:05 PM

63 Carolyn Landon 6/3/2016 11:12 AM

64 Dr Graeme Lorimer 6/3/2016 11:00 AM

65 Sam Gibbard 6/3/2016 10:53 AM

66 Cathy Franzi 6/3/2016 10:05 AM

67 Rick Tudor 6/3/2016 8:26 AM

68 Gregory M. Plunkett 6/3/2016 3:27 AM

69 Graham Charles George Argent 6/3/2016 2:02 AM

70 Paul Berry 6/2/2016 11:55 PM

71 Susan Kruss 6/2/2016 11:17 PM

72 Mary Barkworth 6/2/2016 10:51 PM

73 Igersheim Anton 6/2/2016 10:25 PM

74 Jinshuang MA 6/2/2016 10:12 PM

75 Laurelle Pacey 6/2/2016 9:54 PM

76 Lesley Brooker 6/2/2016 8:15 PM

37 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

77 Juan Guerra Montes 6/2/2016 7:54 PM

78 Bruce Sowter 6/2/2016 7:28 PM

79 MicheleAdler 6/2/2016 6:59 PM

80 Cate Tauss 6/2/2016 6:34 PM

81 Ann Bogaerts 6/2/2016 6:21 PM

82 Peter Jobson 6/2/2016 6:01 PM

83 Robyn Barker 6/2/2016 5:13 PM

84 Arne A. Anderberg 6/2/2016 5:13 PM

85 Chris Brodie 6/2/2016 4:51 PM

86 Geoff W Carr 6/2/2016 4:20 PM

87 Lex Thomson 6/2/2016 4:18 PM

88 Augustine Doronila 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

89 Edmee Cudmore 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

90 Meg Miller 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

91 Maria Costanzo 6/2/2016 4:03 PM

92 Graham Fulton 6/2/2016 3:51 PM

93 Gabrielle McMullen 6/2/2016 3:47 PM

# Email address Date

1 [email protected] 7/1/2016 3:59 PM

2 [email protected] OR [email protected] 6/30/2016 9:49 PM

3 [email protected] 6/30/2016 6:37 PM

4 [email protected] 6/29/2016 11:05 PM

5 [email protected] 6/29/2016 10:59 PM

6 [email protected] 6/29/2016 11:47 AM

7 [email protected] 6/29/2016 11:19 AM

8 [email protected] 6/29/2016 8:38 AM

9 [email protected] 6/29/2016 7:19 AM

10 [email protected] 6/29/2016 6:45 AM

11 [email protected] 6/29/2016 5:59 AM

12 [email protected] 6/29/2016 12:49 AM

13 [email protected] 6/28/2016 7:33 PM

14 [email protected] 6/28/2016 4:51 PM

15 [email protected] 6/28/2016 4:04 PM

16 [email protected] 6/28/2016 3:49 PM

17 [email protected] 6/28/2016 3:33 PM

18 [email protected] 6/28/2016 3:29 PM

19 [email protected] 6/28/2016 3:20 PM

20 [email protected] 6/28/2016 3:05 PM

21 [email protected] 6/28/2016 8:56 AM

22 [email protected] 6/20/2016 2:27 PM

23 [email protected] 6/18/2016 6:34 PM

24 [email protected] 6/15/2016 6:35 PM

25 [email protected] 6/15/2016 11:20 AM

26 [email protected] 6/15/2016 11:07 AM

38 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

27 [email protected] 6/10/2016 1:26 PM

28 [email protected] 6/9/2016 6:15 PM

29 [email protected] 6/9/2016 2:04 PM

30 [email protected] 6/9/2016 9:14 AM

31 [email protected] 6/9/2016 4:02 AM

32 [email protected] 6/8/2016 7:15 PM

33 [email protected] 6/8/2016 7:05 PM

34 [email protected] 6/8/2016 10:37 AM

35 [email protected] 6/8/2016 9:41 AM

36 [email protected] 6/8/2016 4:20 AM

37 [email protected] 6/7/2016 8:17 PM

38 [email protected] 6/7/2016 2:36 PM

39 [email protected] 6/7/2016 12:47 PM

40 [email protected] 6/7/2016 12:26 PM

41 [email protected] 6/7/2016 12:00 PM

42 [email protected] 6/7/2016 10:33 AM

43 [email protected] 6/6/2016 7:20 PM

44 [email protected] 6/6/2016 12:57 PM

45 [email protected] 6/6/2016 12:03 PM

46 [email protected] 6/6/2016 11:15 AM

47 [email protected] 6/6/2016 10:36 AM

48 [email protected] 6/4/2016 9:20 PM

49 [email protected] 6/4/2016 9:01 PM

50 [email protected] 6/4/2016 11:03 AM

51 [email protected] 6/3/2016 6:47 PM

52 [email protected] 6/3/2016 6:09 PM

53 [email protected] 6/3/2016 5:51 PM

54 [email protected] 6/3/2016 1:24 PM

55 [email protected] 6/3/2016 1:20 PM

56 [email protected] 6/3/2016 12:30 PM

57 [email protected] 6/3/2016 12:24 PM

58 [email protected] 6/3/2016 12:18 PM

59 [email protected] 6/3/2016 12:09 PM

60 [email protected] 6/3/2016 12:05 PM

61 [email protected] 6/3/2016 11:12 AM

62 [email protected] 6/3/2016 11:00 AM

63 [email protected] 6/3/2016 10:53 AM

64 [email protected] 6/3/2016 10:05 AM

65 [email protected] 6/3/2016 8:26 AM

66 [email protected] 6/3/2016 3:27 AM

67 [email protected] 6/3/2016 2:02 AM

68 [email protected] 6/2/2016 11:55 PM

69 [email protected] 6/2/2016 11:17 PM

70 [email protected] 6/2/2016 10:51 PM

39 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

71 [email protected] 6/2/2016 10:25 PM

72 [email protected] 6/2/2016 10:12 PM

73 [email protected] 6/2/2016 9:54 PM

74 [email protected] 6/2/2016 8:15 PM

75 [email protected] 6/2/2016 7:54 PM

76 [email protected] 6/2/2016 7:28 PM

77 [email protected] 6/2/2016 6:59 PM

78 [email protected] 6/2/2016 6:34 PM

79 [email protected] 6/2/2016 6:21 PM

80 [email protected] 6/2/2016 6:01 PM

81 [email protected] 6/2/2016 5:13 PM

82 [email protected] 6/2/2016 5:13 PM

83 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:51 PM

84 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:20 PM

85 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:18 PM

86 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

87 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

88 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

89 [email protected] 6/2/2016 4:03 PM

90 [email protected] 6/2/2016 3:51 PM

91 [email protected] 6/2/2016 3:47 PM

# Telephone number (if within Australia) Date

1 0417 058 095 7/1/2016 3:59 PM

2 0433 344 287 6/29/2016 11:05 PM

3 0419886190 6/29/2016 11:19 AM

4 2026330950 6/29/2016 5:59 AM

5 03 9481 4644 6/29/2016 12:49 AM

6 0407578120 6/28/2016 7:33 PM

7 08 8222 9416 6/28/2016 4:51 PM

8 02 92318080 6/28/2016 4:04 PM

9 +61412250249 6/28/2016 3:49 PM

10 02 9231 8153 6/28/2016 3:29 PM

11 0409454054 6/28/2016 3:20 PM

12 0429 009 743 6/28/2016 3:05 PM

13 03 9251 7667 6/28/2016 8:56 AM

14 (08) 83816993 6/20/2016 2:27 PM

15 0401040435 6/18/2016 6:34 PM

16 (02) 6246 5167 6/15/2016 6:35 PM

17 03 ) 9479 2216 6/15/2016 11:07 AM

18 02 9231 8141 6/10/2016 1:26 PM

19 0292318142 6/9/2016 6:15 PM

20 02 9231 8074 6/9/2016 2:04 PM

21 02.92318137 6/8/2016 7:15 PM

22 0427 377 139 6/8/2016 10:37 AM

40 / 41 State Botanical Collection of Victoria Significance Assessment

23 02 5609464 6/8/2016 9:41 AM

24 +31646710518 6/8/2016 4:20 AM

25 0420597089 or 08 93371655 6/7/2016 8:17 PM

26 +61407535351 6/7/2016 2:36 PM

27 0422495675 6/7/2016 12:00 PM

28 03-62261802 6/7/2016 10:33 AM

29 0422 123 253 6/6/2016 7:20 PM

30 (08) 8207 7582 6/6/2016 12:57 PM

31 0423 171 701 6/6/2016 12:03 PM

32 0410442191 6/6/2016 11:15 AM

33 0383417779 6/6/2016 10:36 AM

34 9225 8265 6/4/2016 11:21 PM

35 +61427191815, 51 924174 6/4/2016 9:20 PM

36 +61427191815, 51 924174 6/4/2016 9:01 PM

37 0401 125 855 6/3/2016 6:47 PM

38 03 6226 1806 6/3/2016 1:24 PM

39 08 82229325 6/3/2016 1:20 PM

40 0359652338 0419504974. 6/3/2016 12:30 PM

41 02 6246 5263 6/3/2016 12:24 PM

42 03 9479 2224 6/3/2016 12:18 PM

43 08 8222 9392 6/3/2016 12:09 PM

44 0459919855 6/3/2016 12:05 PM

45 0409 595 266 6/3/2016 11:12 AM

46 0403229862 6/3/2016 11:00 AM

47 0466404347 6/3/2016 10:53 AM

48 0435 010109 6/3/2016 10:05 AM

49 0409 814 635 6/3/2016 8:26 AM

50 0892934757 6/2/2016 8:15 PM

51 03 51455422 6/2/2016 6:59 PM

52 0427996183 6/2/2016 6:34 PM

53 08-895 18971 6/2/2016 6:01 PM

54 (08) 82229348 6/2/2016 5:13 PM

55 (03) 94894191, 0417548976 6/2/2016 4:20 PM

56 0404306663 6/2/2016 4:18 PM

57 0383446485 6/2/2016 4:13 PM

58 03 95927940 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

59 03 9598 4915 6/2/2016 4:06 PM

60 03 9742 8600 6/2/2016 4:03 PM

61 N/A 6/2/2016 3:51 PM

62 0419372593 6/2/2016 3:47 PM

41 / 41