Melbourne botanic Gardens
22/3/64
Sir
I have the honor to inform you, that in reply to your communication of the 7th inst.,1 which has been brought before a Meeting of the Trustees of the Royal Park this day, the following resolution was adopted.
"That in reply to a communication from the Borough Council of Hotham to Mr Hodgkinson on the subject of an additional Trustee for the Royal Park, the Trustees are of opinion, the same is at present unnecessary."2
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
sign. F. Mueller
Hon. Secret.
Clem. Hodgkinson Esq.
Assistant Commissioner of Lands & Survey3
Letter not found.
The only additional trustee appointed between January 1864 when Robert Smyth was added (Victoria government gazette, 29 January 1874) and 1874 when William Henry Archer was appointed (Victoria government gazette, 7 August, 1873, p. 1464) was Edward Wilson in July 1864 (see below).
In June 1864 the Council of the Acclimatisation Society sent a deputation to meet the Acting Minister of Lands (James Grant) to protest about the principle of the Government appointing Additional Trustees, citing the appointment of Robert Smyth in January, as 'if the Board of Land and Works could elect additional trustees whenever it chose, the ultimate effect might be that the majority of the trustees would consist of gentlemen who were inimical to the interests of the society. The council felt it their duty to protect the property and interests of the society from any such possible contingency'. They asked that the Government appoint Edward Wilson, their president, as an additional Trustee and undertake not to appoint additional trustees. Grant was happy to add Wilson, who was appointed in July (Victoria government gazette, 15 July 1864, p. 1525) but would not give a guarantee not to appoint more additional trustees. He pointed out that it 'is the duty of the trustees to frame rules and regulations for the management of the park, which they had not yet done. Those rules—which would be subject to the approval of the Board of Land and Works—might be framed so as to protect the interests both of the Acclimatisation Society and the public at large and if the trustees would prepare them, he thought that the object which the deputation had in view would be secured'. (Argus, 22 June 1864, p. 6).
See also M to R. Heales, 22 March 1864 (in this edition as 64-03-22c).
Please cite as “FVM-64-03-22b,” 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