Melbourne Botan. Garden
4/6/69
It is my pleasurable duty, dear Mr. Smyth, to convey to you the best thanks of the trustees of the Royal Park for your goodness of preparing such a beautiful plan of their ground, also to solicit your acceptance of the position of chairmanship of a subcommittee (consisting of yourself, C. Hodgkinson Esq and Dr Thomas Black) whose good offices are sought to define the intended carriage drive by pegs, to determine on the permanent levels, necessary drains and culverts, with a view of tenders being prepared as early as possible for the formation of these drives.1 The trustees direct me also to convey to you their grateful acknowledgement for your having in connection with Dr Black preliminarily fixed the line of the new drive in so satisfactory a manner.
I have the honor to remain
Dear Sir
Your obedient
(signed) Ferd. von Mueller
R. Brough Smyth Esq
F.G.S. &c &c &c
No advertisement of a tender has been found, but on 28 September 1869, 'The trustees of the Royal-park gave notice to the council of the Acclimatisation Society that they were engaged at present in having a carriage drive made round the park for the accommodation of the public, which would be completed before the Christmas holidays' (Report of the meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society held on 28 September, 1869', Argus, 29 September 1869, p, 4).
Please cite as “FVM-69-06-04a,” 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