Baron Von Mueller was a distinguished botanist, naturalist and explore, who had a long and close association with Phillip Island for the latter half of the 19th century. He was recognized as a leader in his chosen field, and was appointed Government botanist of Victoria soon after emigrating to Australia in 1847.
He is known to have had an abiding love for the island, and many trees standing in the district are testimony to his vision and talent and work here.
The most notable reminder of his presence well over a century ago is the magnificent Moreton Bay fig tree, planted by him in 1869, which graces the Esplanade in the grounds of the Isle of Wight.
(In 2018 a planning panel concluded that any future development at the old Isle of Wight site will be required to create a 15-metre no-go zone to protect the historic 150-year-old fig tree.)
An arborist’s report at the time stated the tree was “highly significant”.
It is recorded on the National Trust’s Significant Tree Register where its scientific, social and historic values are recognised.
The Trust describes it as being a tree of outstanding size, high landscape value and associated with a prominent person.
He also is credited with planting the long avenue of cypress avenue down the Trenavin Park driveway.
Background:
Von Mueller was a a young Danish scientist when her arrived in Australia in 1847 with his two sisters.
He became a Victorian Government botanist, and in 1857 became the first Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens.
He became intensely interested in Phillip Island, and joined in consultation with what was then called the Acclimatisation Society.
This society had introduced animals, birds and plants on to the Island, with the help of his friend Mr JD McHaffie, who held a lease to farm the entire island in those days.
Dr von Mueller became even more interested in this place when he became engaged to Mrs McHaffie's younger sister Effie Henderson.
That was in February 1863, but six months later, believing he was under threat from TB, he suggested they withdraw from the engagement.
Despite his fears, however, the Baron lived for another 30 years.
In those days, the journey from Melbourne to Cowes took two days, which included staying overnight at Hastings, or as it was called then, Kings Creek.
Background:
Baron Ferdinand von Mueller was arguably Australia's most prominent 19th century scientist. He was born in Schleswig-Holstein on 30 June 1825. At the age of 15 he began to pursue a life-long passion for botany by extensively researching the vegetation of the Schleswig-Holstein area, a project that would take seven years.
Mueller suffered from ill health, and his doctor persuaded him to seek a warmer climate. At the age of 22 Mueller and his two sisters (their parents had both died) sailed to Adelaide, arriving in 1847. He found work as an assistant chemist, and used his spare time to investigate the local vegetation.
He tried farming, but found that it interfered with his botanical interests.
In 1852 he went to Melbourne, where he was appointed government botanist in 1853. He began intensive work on the local flora, and began a series of expeditions to other parts of Victoria, including Phillip Island, Mount Buffalo and Wilson's Promontory.
He found that many species had potential for industrial and medical applications, such as acacia for its wood, tannin and gum.
In 1854 he was appointed a commissioner for the Melbourne Exhibition. He was also active in the amalgamation of the Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science into the Philosophical Society. The following year he was appointed botanist to the North West Australia Expedition, which left Sydney in July 1855.
The expedition travelled nearly 5,000 miles in 16 months. Mueller observed some 2,000 species, of which about 800 were new to Australian botany. On his return to Melbourne, he was appointed director of the Botanical Gardens, while on leave from his position as government botanist.
He immediately arranged for the construction of a herbarium and contributed his own extensive collection. He contributed significantly to the seven volumes of Flora Australiensis, the first comprehensive work on Australian flora, but never recovered from the disappointment of being unable to complete the work himself.
Mueller was one of the first people to take a scientific interest in Victorian forests, and argued against indiscriminate clearing of land.
He encouraged the commercial distillation of eucalyptus oil and exported eucalyptus seeds to countries including India, Algeria and California, arguing they combatted malaria.. He prolifically published papers and articles, and surveyed the forests and coastline of Western Australia by request of the Western Australian Government. He contributed to discussions on acclimatisation, and continued to introduce fauna and flora to Australia.
He founded the Royal Society of Victoria and was president of the Geographical Society (Victorian Branch). His German and European scientific contacts were of enormous value to Australian science.
Mueller never married - he was dedicated to his work and had little social life. He died on 10 October 1896 in South Yarra, at the age of 71, and was survived by one sister.