Message To All Museums In The World,

do not send anything to an Australian museum, 

unless you want to have your specimens destroyed, as now two historic and valuable plant collections have been destroyed by overzealous Australian jobsworth biosecurity officers, in one case biosecurity officers had destroyed lichen specimens from the 1930s, destined for the Australian National Herbarium in Canberra, Dr Breitwieser said it had put a temporary ban on sending specimens, "Very significant loss. It's an irreplaceable collection, it has high historic and scientific value, and it has a major impact on the research because very important specimens got destroyed." but a few weeks before that a box of rare daisies from the 1850s had been sent to Brisbane from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, but the pressed plant samples were incinerated because accompanying documents were filled out incorrectly, 

the French museum was upset that the "irreplaceable collection" had been destroyed, said Prof Michelle Waycott, chair of the Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, She said the flowers may have come from a habitat that no longer existed, "Sometimes they [collections] may be the last remaining examples of species," she told the BBC, Australia's Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, which oversees biosecurity, has asked for a review, "The department acknowledges the significant value as a botanical reference collection," a spokesperson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp, "The destruction of the specimens should not have proceeded while communication between the department and the intended recipient was ongoing." so it seems that whilst the museums might have the greatest minds in town the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources seems to employ Neanderthals that wish to wipe out knowledge in any shape or form, note to staff at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, if on the label it says from a museum to a museum, think before you burn! I have just read regarding the French collection that the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, which controls Australian biosecurity, declined a request for an interview, however, in a written response, a spokesperson said the material from France which arrived in January was destroyed because the documents it came with did not comply with Australia's import conditions, I guess that's all right then! I mean who would want to be the fool that tried to defend the actions of imbeciles that destroyed irreplaceable collections, and the fact that it happened at two different entry points must be a real worry to museums around the world!