Early Scientific Journals in Victoria
Abstract
Introduction
Dates of Publication
Discussion
Acknowledgements
References
Endnotes
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
Evidence presented under items A and C shows that these two publications appeared within a few days of each other, or perhaps even on the same day. A quote from The Herald, Melbourne, for 10 September 1855, given and discussed below, states that one of the two volumes (which one is uncertain) was to be published that day. The present author's opinion is that the one to be published was that of Trans. Philos. Soc. Vict., vol. 1 complete (item C), and that this preceded the appearance of item A, Trans. Vict. Inst. The former volume was reviewed on 13 September, the latter not until 14, 15 and 22 September, the first three reviews mentioned all being in daily newspapers which normally reported scientific events swiftly. In addition The Argus report of 14 September which announced publication of item A, q.v., perhaps infers that item C had appeared, previously. However, the report (PM2, xxi, quoted under item A) which contrastingly infers that the Victorian Institute had already published its transactions by June/July 1855 is puzzling. If the inference is correct then the Institute must have delayed the sending of copies for review for about three months.Such a delay is unlikely as the newspapers were generous in their reporting of Institute activities and thereby provided good publicity. Certainly Mueller's letter (see under item A) clearly shows that Trans. Vict. Inst. was unpublished at 28 June 1855.
It should be noted that the uncertainty over priority of publication just discussed does not affect pages 1-33 of volume one of Trans. Philos. Soc. Vict. but only subsequent pages. Pages 1-33 were initially published in 1854 (item B).
People in Bright Sparcs - Mueller, Dr Ferdinand
 |
Royal Society of Victoria |  |
© Copyright of Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and The Royal Society of Victoria 2001
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/smv/104.html