Melbourne botanic Garden
22/6/67
Honorable and dear Sir.
Yesterday when meeting the hon. W. Vale, I pointed out the desirability of entrusting me with the completion of the earth-approach at the southern extremity of the iron Yarra bridge, in order that the descent from it to the Garden might be finished in time for planting of this season. The honorable Gentleman desired me to communicate with you and thus I beg to bring the subject under your consideration. I believe a special sum is available from the bridge vote1 for the earth work of the approach, and if this sum was placed at my disposal I would expend it simply in daily wages and direct the work myself, by which measure the office of public works would be entirely relieved of the task to connect the bridge with the garden; moreover this would be the simplest and cheapest procedure, as I have the necessary planks and tools for the work. I may mention that I have repeatedly disbursed sums in daily wages for the public works department, the paysheets being submitted to the hon. the Commissioner, in whose Department the sums are voted. 2
Regardfully your
Ferd. Mueller
The Hon. J. M. Grant &c
The vote for supplementary expenditure for 1866 approved by the Legislative Assembly on 3 July 1867 included under Commissioner of Public Works the sum of £1206/2/0 for 'Bridges and Approaches, &c, Botanic Gardens' (Victoria, Votes and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, First session 1867, vol. 1, p. 236).
Grant decided to meet with Vale and M on a date to be fixed in the following week to discuss the matter. M was duly informed of this decision and on 28 June 1867 'Returned with thanks for preliminary arrangements' the file containing his original letter and the annotations to the Department of Crown Lands and Survey.
Please cite as “FVM-67-06-22,” 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