Town Hall Melbourne
May 3rd 1869
My dear Dr Von Mueller
Though too busy to answer your notes relative to animals set loose upon the Yarra bank,1 I have lost no time in sending to the place and ordering the immediate removal of the creatures, and that no others of a description likely to cause mischief should be brought there. I have since receiving your note this morning written a peremptory [note] to Mr Edwards to destroy immediately any rabbits which he may have at his place.2
I am informed in respect to Mr Fuller3 that upon receiving the message from me at your instance to fence at the back of his boat house, he went to the offices of the Department of Crown Lands and was there told to disregard any directions other than such as should be sent from that Department. If this be so, I think it a pity that public bodies and officers who should have for their common object the improvement of the public property for the public advantage and enjoyment should take up a position of apparent antagonism.4
Yours very faithfully
(signed) E. G. FitzGibbon
Town Clerk
M to E. FitzGibbon, 20 April 1869; M to E. FitzGibbon, 28 April 1869; M to E. FitzGibbon, 2 May 1869.
On 3 May, FitzGibbon wrote to J. Edwards, Yarra Bank: 'Dr Von Mueller the Director of the Melbourne Botanic Garden has complained to me of the keeping of an Ass upon the south bank of the Yarra as I am informed by you and also that rabbits have been brought there and as I am also informed by you. I have been informed that the Ass has since been removed but Dr Von Mueller tells me by letter of this day's date that some of the rabbits were seen at the boathouses yesterday. I have to require you forthwith to remove or destroy these creatures and to remark upon the extreme impropriety of bringing them to a place where they are likely to do such incalculable damage to the public property' (Unit 15, p. 149, VPRS 4025/P, Public Record Office, Victoria).
See M to E. FitzGibbon, 20 April 1869, in which M complains about the damage done to trees because of lack of fencing at the premises of a boat-builder.
See M to E. FitzGibbon, 4 May 1869, in which he states that he had thought the boathouse keepers were under the sole control of the City Corporation.
Please cite as “FVM-69-05-03,” 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