[For copies of Civil Service regulns asks instructions relative to [...] reports of the progress of the Gardens to the daily Papers See Rule 21]1
New Public Service Regulations dated 31 December 1866 were published in the Government gazette on 8 January 1867. Rule 21 (p. 38) headed 'Communications not to be made to the public press' stated 'No officer shall make any communication … to the press upon any matter affecting the department in which he serves … or his own official position or acts …'. M had been in the habit of supplying accounts of the Gardens that became the source of a news report (for example, Argus, 28 July 1866, p. 5, col. b), or via a memorandum, for example B65.08.08. He also responded to comments in the press on matters relevant to his role as Government Botanist and Director of the Gardens; for example, B61.04.05, B63.10.13, and B65.07.10. No response to M's request for clarification has been found.
Presumably M's frequent letters to the press concerning searching for Leichhardt would have been considered as written in his private capacity, for example B65.06.08. Newspapers also quoted from M's letters included in official reports and from letters to other organizations or to private correspondents that were apparently provided by the recipients.
Letter not found; item is a register entry only, of a letter dated 10 January 1867.
Please cite as “FVM-67-01-10c,” 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