1996 Commemorative Conference, Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

A program of celebratory events is being planned, a highlight of which will be a two-part conference that looks both back into the nineteenth century and forward into the twenty-first century. 'The Scientific Savant in Nineteenth Century Australia' will provide an opportunity to reflect on Mueller' s influence and the concept of the Great Man of science, the directions and philosophical issues of nineteenth century Australian science, the imperatives which drove Australian science, and the variety of its practitioners. The second part, 'Beyond the Floras', will provide the opportunity to examine where Australian systematic botany might head in the twenty-first century, and its application to, and interactions with, other disciplines.

The conference will be held in Melbourne on 22-28 September, 1996. In organising the conference, the Royal Botanic Gardens has the active co-operation of the Royal Society of Victoria, the Australian Systematic Botany Society, the Ferdinand von Mueller Project, and the University of Melbourne Botany School. The Victorian Government is a generous sponsor of overseas speakers.

Offers of papers will be very welcome. If you would like to register your interest, offer a paper, or simply get more information please contact: