Baron Ferdinand von Muelleur ... reminders of the renowned botanist abound on Phillip
and Churchill Islands.
By Christine Grayden.
THERE are several massive biographies about Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, and also about the people who collected specimens for him. He thought nothing of venturing into the roughest terrain in four states, often alone or just with his horse, collecting plants from coast to mountains and plains and forests. It may well be claimed that von Mueller single-handedly lifted the study of botany into the realm of world-class standard in 19th century Australia.
His plant collection was immense, and he gave most of it to the National Herbarium, which he established within the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne where he was the first director and Victorian Government Botanist.
While von Mueller contributed vastly to our knowledge of Australia’s native plants, he also contributed in other ways – some good, some not so good.
Friends of Churchill Island Society president Mike Cleeland, who has spent many years as a Landcarer and hands-on worker in the environment, refers to von Mueller as “Baron von Blackberry”.
THERE are several massive biographies about Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, and also about the people who collected specimens for him. He thought nothing of venturing into the roughest terrain in four states, often alone or just with his horse, collecting plants from coast to mountains and plains and forests. It may well be claimed that von Mueller single-handedly lifted the study of botany into the realm of world-class standard in 19th century Australia.
His plant collection was immense, and he gave most of it to the National Herbarium, which he established within the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne where he was the first director and Victorian Government Botanist.
While von Mueller contributed vastly to our knowledge of Australia’s native plants, he also contributed in other ways – some good, some not so good.
Friends of Churchill Island Society president Mike Cleeland, who has spent many years as a Landcarer and hands-on worker in the environment, refers to von Mueller as “Baron von Blackberry”.
As a member of the Victorian Acclimatisation Society, along with Phillip Island locals of the second half of the 19th century the McHaffies, Cleeland, Samuel Amess and Harbison, von Mueller spent much energy trying to introduce productive plants to this continent from other countries, especially in Europe – blackberries among them. Another VAS member, Austin of the Western District, introduced rabbits. Plant and mammal have been a disaster for the Australian environment.
Von Mueller is recorded as having visited Phillip Island on many occasions. He would certainly have known Churchill Island owner Samuel Amess, and could hardly have avoided an association when traveling here, since Amess was a shareholder in Cobb & Co, the Isle of Wight Hotel, and the ferry service!
There are various impressive trees in the area that were almost certainly gifts from von Mueller. According to family history, the large Moreton Bay Fig and the two species of pine trees at the Isle of Wight Hotel sites were gifts to then-owner Richardson. Another of these Moreton Bay Figs is still growing strong on Ventnor Beach Rd, diagonally opposite Wimbledon Heights on what was the site of William Harbison’s main residence.
Von Mueller was a friend of the McHaffies, and gifted a pine tree to Georgiana McHaffie for each of her children. Two of Samuel and Winifred Pickersgill’s teenage children were her servants at various times. The pines were planted around the McHaffie homestead at Ventnor. Although the pines are now gone, seeds from their pine cones were propagated, and a row of these now 125-year-old pine trees still lines the driveway to the former Ventnor Anchorage farm, then owned by my Grayden-Pickersgill forebears.
Von Mueller is recorded as having visited Phillip Island on many occasions. He would certainly have known Churchill Island owner Samuel Amess, and could hardly have avoided an association when traveling here, since Amess was a shareholder in Cobb & Co, the Isle of Wight Hotel, and the ferry service!
There are various impressive trees in the area that were almost certainly gifts from von Mueller. According to family history, the large Moreton Bay Fig and the two species of pine trees at the Isle of Wight Hotel sites were gifts to then-owner Richardson. Another of these Moreton Bay Figs is still growing strong on Ventnor Beach Rd, diagonally opposite Wimbledon Heights on what was the site of William Harbison’s main residence.
Von Mueller was a friend of the McHaffies, and gifted a pine tree to Georgiana McHaffie for each of her children. Two of Samuel and Winifred Pickersgill’s teenage children were her servants at various times. The pines were planted around the McHaffie homestead at Ventnor. Although the pines are now gone, seeds from their pine cones were propagated, and a row of these now 125-year-old pine trees still lines the driveway to the former Ventnor Anchorage farm, then owned by my Grayden-Pickersgill forebears.
Euphemia Henderson, sister of Georgina McHaffie, was briefly engaged
to Baron von Mueller.
Von Mueller was not just interested in land plants. He was also passionate about sea algae (‘seaweed’), and it was his passion for these that led to his passion for Georgiana McHaffie’s sister Euphemia Henderson. While he met Euphemia in Melbourne – reputedly when she took some of her botanical artwork to him at the National Herbarium – it was on his visits to the McHaffies when Euphemia was staying there, where they both collected sea algae together.
As a Victorian-era spinster and governess, Euphemia would have had little opportunity to explore nature in the wilds. Botanists such as von Mueller and others called on these otherwise trapped single women, many of whom were amateur collectors and botanic artists just like Euphemia, to venture into the wilds of forests, meadows and coasts to collect specimens. Many of these ‘Collecting Ladies’ were extremely adventurous. Some of them even ventured out alone!
The love of walking the island’s beautiful beaches is not new. Euphemia certainly seems to have enjoyed it. Possibly she took the McHaffie children down to the beach with her, and sketched and searched for sea algae as they played. I like to imagine her, away from the searching eyes of Melbourne society, hitching up her long skirts and numerous petticoats required at the time, and wading into the sandy shores of Woolshed Bight below the McHaffie homestead.
We know that von Mueller longed for a wife and children. After only a short time of knowing Euphemia in an intimate relationship, he proposed to her – reputedly while they sat together on a flat red rock well-known to me near Grossard Point, Ventnor.
As a Victorian-era spinster and governess, Euphemia would have had little opportunity to explore nature in the wilds. Botanists such as von Mueller and others called on these otherwise trapped single women, many of whom were amateur collectors and botanic artists just like Euphemia, to venture into the wilds of forests, meadows and coasts to collect specimens. Many of these ‘Collecting Ladies’ were extremely adventurous. Some of them even ventured out alone!
The love of walking the island’s beautiful beaches is not new. Euphemia certainly seems to have enjoyed it. Possibly she took the McHaffie children down to the beach with her, and sketched and searched for sea algae as they played. I like to imagine her, away from the searching eyes of Melbourne society, hitching up her long skirts and numerous petticoats required at the time, and wading into the sandy shores of Woolshed Bight below the McHaffie homestead.
We know that von Mueller longed for a wife and children. After only a short time of knowing Euphemia in an intimate relationship, he proposed to her – reputedly while they sat together on a flat red rock well-known to me near Grossard Point, Ventnor.
Local historian Maureen Matthews describes the scene: “The distinguished botanist and the talented Scottish girl who loved studying and sketching plants seemed made for each other. She saved his letters to her and we read his salutation, ‘Beloved bride.’ They read the poetry of Lord Byron together on Phillip Island. Mueller referred to her proudly as ‘my fiancée , a greatly talented and enlightened Scottish lady’.”
He and Euphemia were engaged for a short six or seven months during 1863. Von Mueller was then 41 years old and Euphemia was much the same age. He concluded she would not be able to bear children and wrote to her pleading for her to break the engagement:
“…as your future (you may believe it) is dear to me, I have after a long and most painful internal combat, deemed it much more honourable to afford you an opportunity of withdrawing from an engagement, which opens only a gloomy future….
He and Euphemia were engaged for a short six or seven months during 1863. Von Mueller was then 41 years old and Euphemia was much the same age. He concluded she would not be able to bear children and wrote to her pleading for her to break the engagement:
“…as your future (you may believe it) is dear to me, I have after a long and most painful internal combat, deemed it much more honourable to afford you an opportunity of withdrawing from an engagement, which opens only a gloomy future….
A fragment of the letter “Whenever I come to England I will wait on her (your venerable mother) and on your other relations and solicit from them that forgiveness, which I feel sure, once will also be granted by Mr McHaffie and his Lady, from whom I experienced so many tokens of genuine but ill rewarded kindness …. You have it in your power to dispel my gloom and adopt me to brotherhood and friendship.
“Ever yours with profound regards. Ferd. Mueller.”
Von Mueller describes Euphemia in several letters as having “generosity.…pious resignation.…talents, blended as they are by a gentle disposition”. We can only imagine how shocked she was to receive his letter of rejection. She must have indeed had all of those qualities to have agreed to break off the engagement in order to save his reputation!
Even so, they remained friends and Euphemia continued to collect plant and sea algae specimens for him and for her botanical art. Consequently the Botanic Gardens has a sizeable collection of her specimens and artwork, which about 10 years ago featured in a range of exquisite homewares by Maxwell & Williams, in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens. These items are still highly collectable.
“Ever yours with profound regards. Ferd. Mueller.”
Von Mueller describes Euphemia in several letters as having “generosity.…pious resignation.…talents, blended as they are by a gentle disposition”. We can only imagine how shocked she was to receive his letter of rejection. She must have indeed had all of those qualities to have agreed to break off the engagement in order to save his reputation!
Even so, they remained friends and Euphemia continued to collect plant and sea algae specimens for him and for her botanical art. Consequently the Botanic Gardens has a sizeable collection of her specimens and artwork, which about 10 years ago featured in a range of exquisite homewares by Maxwell & Williams, in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens. These items are still highly collectable.
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However, von Mueller’s personality, extreme and obsessive work ethic, and personal habits just did not seem fitted for domestic life. He had two relationships after Euphemia, but never married or had children. In a sense, his massive body of work was his offspring; an extraordinary legacy left to the world, and far surpassing in scientific value the otherwise awful legacy of rampant blackberries.
His advice to Richardson to grow the bitter chicory plant, which Richardson took to Phillip Island to counteract attacks by caterpillars, was to shape the Phillip Island landscape for a century to come. A great advocate of Eucalypts, von Mueller would have been horrified to see the damage wrought on the island’s landscape, with two tons of big Eucalypt timber being required to dry each ton of chicory.
As far as we know, chicory was never grown on Churchill Island, and there was never a kiln there. In that regard, von Mueller’s legacy to Churchill island remains the massive Norfolk Island Pine, which has become a landmark beckoning visitors from the Anderson Peninsula and from many points around Western Port.
Long may the Amess House ‘Homestead Tree’ continue to thrive as Churchill Island’s own representation of this amazing scientist.
This essay was written for the summer edition of the Friends of Churchill Island Society newsletter.
His advice to Richardson to grow the bitter chicory plant, which Richardson took to Phillip Island to counteract attacks by caterpillars, was to shape the Phillip Island landscape for a century to come. A great advocate of Eucalypts, von Mueller would have been horrified to see the damage wrought on the island’s landscape, with two tons of big Eucalypt timber being required to dry each ton of chicory.
As far as we know, chicory was never grown on Churchill Island, and there was never a kiln there. In that regard, von Mueller’s legacy to Churchill island remains the massive Norfolk Island Pine, which has become a landmark beckoning visitors from the Anderson Peninsula and from many points around Western Port.
Long may the Amess House ‘Homestead Tree’ continue to thrive as Churchill Island’s own representation of this amazing scientist.
This essay was written for the summer edition of the Friends of Churchill Island Society newsletter.
The 'Homestead Tree’ on Churchill Island