The Secretary of State for Wales, the Rt. Hon. David Jones MP has personally supported a proposal for an Alfred Russel Wallace study centre in Monmouthshire writes IRENA MORGAN.. The idea for a centre based at the Hill, Abergavenny, has been put forward by the Friends of Gardd-y-Bryn group who are trying to restore the walled garden at the former Coleg Gwent campus closed down in 2009 and now up for sale. It has been backed by MP David Davies who wrote to the Welsh Secretary and AM Nick Ramsay who has written to Edwina Hart, Welsh Minister for Economy, Science and Transport. Wallace, the Usk-born naturalist and explorer, co-published the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin in 1858 but while Darwin remains a household name Wallace has until recently been largely overlooked. In his reply to the MP, The Secretary of State said, "I am delighted to extend my wholehearted support to the campaign to establish an Alfred Russel Wallace study centre in Monmouthshire. "Wallace's remarkable accomplishments, such as the joint discovery of the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin in 1858, the publication of more than 1000 articles and 22 books, including the seminal and celebrated book 'The Malay Archipelago' in 1869, and his world renown as the 19th century's leading expert on the distribution of animal species are truly worthy of recognition in the country of his birth. That these works are often overlooked is further justification for having a study centre in Monmouthshire, which would be an excellent and fitting tribute to his lifetime of work. "Indeed, although Wallace has sadly struggled for recognition in modern times, this was certainly not so during his own lifetime. This was demonstrated when he was awarded the Order of Merit by Edward VII in 1908, an honour so prestigious that there can only be 24 living members at any one time, with new members personally selected by the reigning monarch. "Whilst the Wales Office is unable to provide any financial support for this worthy project, it would be a pleasure to promotethe benefits of an Alfred Russel Wallace study centre. This centre would provide a great opportunity to raise his profile in his home town and across Wales, and to preserve and advance his legacy in a deserving manner. "I look forward to hearing more about the project as it develops and if there is anything I can do to be of assistance please do not hesitate to contact me." A Friends' spokeswoman said The Hill seemed a natural choice for a Wallace centre which could attract students from all over the world. "He was born just a few miles away in Llanbadoc and there is a link with The Hill and Darwin through Darwin's uncle John Wedgwood, son of Josiah the potter, who lived there. Darwin mentions The Hill in his letters as can be seen in the online archive. The Friends' group wrote to the Secretary of State following his St David's Day statement about the Welsh Office actively pursuing educational and business links with Indonesia and Malaysia, countries closely associated with Wallace's work. However, the Welsh Office has emphasized that while the Secretary of State was supportive of such projects they were the responsibility of the Welsh Government. Last year saw the worldwide centenary commemorations of Wallace described by Sir David Attenborough as the "most admirable character in the history of science. " There was a vast programme of talks in universities, museums and societies all over the world – Cardiff, Oxford, Harvard, Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil etc. This included an interactive exhibition at The National Museum in Cardiff on Wallace which started in October and finished last month. "I'm sure this exhibition – or something like it with an associated programme of talks aimed at a popular audience – could be displayed at The Hill," said the Friends' spokeswoman. Although the idea for the study centre has come from the Friends' group they have said it would be up to another community / educational organisation to take forward. They had approached CASH and their Chairman said they thought the proposal interesting and would discuss the matter further if their financial backers won the bid. A Friends' spokeswoman said "We certainly hope that The Hill will be sold to someone who would retain it for community use, and perhaps then an educational organisation or a group could be put together to take this further." If you would like to volunteer to help in the garden or would like more details, please contact the Friends' secretary, Mrs Irena Morgan on [email protected]">[email protected]