Melbourne, botanic Garden,
14 Sept 1865
Sir
I have the honor to direct your attention to the circumstance, that the path leading along the base of the ridge from the city bridge towards the botanical Gardens is left in a most unsightly and impassable state after the traffic of the carts, which removed the loam from the Yarra banks to the grounds recently planted under your direction. I further beg to acquaint you, that the three little bridges across the drains of the path alluded to have been destroyed by the carts spoken of and that I have as yet not perceived any arrangements for their renewal.
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your most obedient servant
Ferd. Mueller
Cl. Hodgkinson Esq
&c &c &c1
On 18 September 1865, Hodgkinson minuted: 'The funds available for improvement of the Parliament House Reserve are now exhausted. I regret therefore to have to inform Dr Mueller that I am unable to repair the path used by the carts engaged in taking soil to that Reserve.' M replied: 'I beg to inform Mr Hodgkinson that I have neither any means whatever available for these repairs, but expect them to made.'
Hodgkinson added on 22 September: 'Will Dr Mueller have the goodness to inform me if he wishes that I should submit his letter and subsequent minute for the consideration of the Corporate Body (the Board of Land & Works) in whose control this Reserve is at present, — if so I will be happy so to do, and have an estimate made of the cost of repairing small drains or culverts alluded to. Pending the solution of the present financial crisis Dr Mueller is of course aware that no money is obtainable for public works. Nearly 2000 loads of soil were removed from the Yarra bank to Parliament House by a contractor;— and I regret that the onerous and exacting nature of my duty as permanent head of the Administrative Branch of the Crown Lands Dept caused me to overlook the necessity of imposing on the contractor any condition to make good any damage he might cause to the drains or track. I presume that the old lower track to the gardens has however fallen into disuse since the formation of the recent excellent approaches to the garden in other directions.'
Please cite as “FVM-65-09-14a,” 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