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From Ferdinand von Mueller to Richard Heales   19 Feb 1861

Melbourne bot. & zoolog. Garden

19 February 1861.

Sir

By request of the Committee of the zoological Gardens I have the honor to bring under your notice, that the transfer of the Dromedaries to the management of the zoological Committee (as intimated in the Memorandum of Mr Under-secretary Moore under date 7 February 1861)1 is estimated to involve an annual outlay of £128.8.— for forage rations, exclusive of £64.16.— for Grain which probably will be charged by the Department of Government Stores against the forage vote of this establishment.

I am further requested to inform you, that the sustenance of the Indian, attending to the Dromedaries, at the rate of 2/6 pay in lieu of daily rations, as recommended by the Committee, will necessitate an additional annual expense of £45.12.6, besides such wages as Mr. Landells may have stipulated to be paid to this man. As these sums involve outlays to the amount of £238.16.6 (exclusive of Wages to the Indian) per annum and such requirements have not been provided for by the Committee when submitting the estimates for 1861 to your Honor, I have been desired to solicit, that you will be pleased to cause the necessary special provision to be made for the sustenance of the Dromedaries and their attendent.

I have the honor to be

Sir

your most obedient & humble servant

Ferd. Mueller.

The Honorable the Chief Secretary

&c &c &c

1

See footnotes M to J. Moore, 4 February 1861.

2

MS written by Carl Wilhelmi and signed by M. This letter was initially registered in the Chief Secretary's Department on 22 February 1861 (No. 1381, vol. 1861 R, VPRS 1411, Public Record Office, Victoria).

Please cite as “FVM-61-02-19,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/61-02-19