From John Duerdin   2 May 1853

The Committee of Management of the Botanical Gardens1

Melbourne

&c &c &c

Melbourne 2nd May 1853

Gentl[eme]n

Some time ago I ordered through messrs Dalgety Gore & Co of Sir Chas: Fox Henderson & Co (the Builders of the Crystal Palace) two Green houses according to a Plan prepared for me by Mr Samuel Jackson the Architect these have now arrived by the "Cherusker" as I intend to visit England shortly I do not care to put them up. I therefore beg to offer them (or one of them) to you at the price I shall have to pay Messrs Dalgety Gore & Co for them which will be some where about Six Hundred pounds. I shall be happy to submit the Plan & specification to you if you are disposed to take them (or one of them) off my hands.

I am Gentlemen

Your obedt Sert

(Signed) John Duerdin2

1
It is not known for certain that M was a member of the Committee when Duerdin wrote this letter but he did attend the meeting which was called to discuss its proposals.
2
On 5 May 1853 the Honorary Secretary of the Botanic Gardens Committee of Management, H. Ginn, recommended, following an inspection, that the greenhouses be purchased, but La Trobe felt unable to proceed (B53/4503, unit 185, VPRS 1189, PROV). The Botanic Gardens Committee met on 26 July 1853, M being one of those in attendance, and again recommended that the greenhouses be purchased 'as it was considered they were much needed and would be a great acquisition to the Gardens' (C53/7432, unit 185, VRS 1189, PROV). La Trobe on this occasion sanctioned the purchase, with the proviso that the units could be disposed of again should the purchase not be approved by the Legislative Council (No. 53/128, unit 1, VPRS 3149, PROV); the purchase was subsequently confirmed despite an increase in the projected cost to the government to £800. See Victoria, Legislative Council (1853) Estimates of the ways and means, and of the probable expenditure of the Colonial Government of Victoria for the year 1854, and the supplementary estimate for the year 1853, Melbourne.

Please cite as “FVM-53-05-02,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/53-05-02