The Archer Letters – Letter Twenty-Two
July 2, 2024
This letter tells the reader much about the place of science in the life of Fr Julian. He loves all things scientific but he is always a priest first, attending to his many ecclesiastical duties before spending time pursuing scientific interests – writing papers, visiting museums or taking notes while rambling. At this time Fr Julian is giving a mission at Morpeth, saying Mass, preaching to adults and to children, hearing confessions and leading the evening service each day.
The Archer Letters – Letter Twenty-One
There has been a delay in Fr Julian receiving Sir William Archer’s letters due mainly to confusion over the address at which Fr Julian’s mail is held while he is absent from Sydney giving missions in remote parish areas. It is interesting to note Fr Julian’s membership of two clubs in Sydney, the Union Club and the Australia Club. He was obviously held in high esteem here, in contrast to the wariness he felt among his fellow priests!
Despite his travels, Fr Julian is obviously keen to write papers from his notes and observations in Tasmania, and elsewhere, and also to read these papers at the Linnean and Royal Societies. He stresses the importance of research work being done in the local area as conditions in Australia are unbelievably different from any that scientists in England have yet come across.
The Archer Letters – Letter Nineteen
This letter is written in the midst of a busy time for Fr Julian. Obviously the period between Christmas and the middle of January was a popular time for priests and religious to be on retreat and Fr Julian was much in demand as a retreat director. No doubt the retreat experience would have involved several talks each day over six or eight days. The timetable would have been structured around daily Mass, recitation of the Divine Office and other prayer devotions.
In the midst of the busyness, Fr Julian had found time to write a scientific paper on Corals. No wonder he wistfully remembers that, twelve months before, he had been rambling in the mountains with the Archer family. Now the memory is cause to remark that maybe, one day, when life slows down for good, they will all be rambling again in the beautiful fields of heaven!
The Archer Letters – Letter Eighteen
In this letter, Fr Julian expresses his appreciation for the enjoyable time he had spent with the Archer family the month before. He is now in Sydney en route to Bathurst.
Fr Julian describes the ship, the Wotonga, in which he journeyed from Melbourne to Sydney as “one of the very best boats you can travel in”. Maybe this was because it was relatively new, only built in 1876. The Wotonga was owned by the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company in Sydney but was wrecked on rocks off Port Macquarie on 2 January 1882. A very descriptive newspaper article about the wreck can be found in the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser on Tuesday, 10 January 1882, page 3: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/846157/38505
The Archer Letters – Letter Seventeen
This letter is to Mrs Archer, apologising for once again being delayed in his visit and asking for assistance for one of the women from a community he was trying to establish. This letter shows the esteem and trust in which Fr Julian held the Archer family. It is little wonder he enjoyed spending time at their home.
What is not mentioned is the reason for his delay in leaving Tasmania – he was, around this time, quite ill. In fact Fr Julian did not leave Tasmania until November 1876, a further delay occurring when Bishop Murphy asked him to take charge of the Oatlands parish for several months. He finally spent time with his good friends in January 1877.
The Archer Letters – Letter Sixteen
In his letter of 6.1.76, Fr Julian says he is enclosing a cryptogamic puzzle. Obviously he forgot to do this because the purpose of his letter of 22.1.76 is now to send the Fungus! The two letters allude to his involvement with the Tasmanian Royal Society whose monthly meetings both stimulated his scientific work and gave him a forum for sharing his reading and research.
The Archer Letters – Letter Fifteen
Fr Julian is in the Huon district, south of Hobart, where he is giving a most successful mission. He mentions receiving 18 people into the Church and the footnotes give evidence of the esteem in which he was obviously held as an orator. The timber on which he recorded the number of communions and confirmations has been removed from the Geeveston church and is now on display in the Julian Room of the Josephite Mission and History Centre at New Town, Hobart.