30/6/69
Yesterday, dear Mr Hodgkinson, I forgot to mention or rather to remind you, that Ferryman Brandon pays only ten pounds (formerly I think fifty pounds) for his license.1 Hence it appears to me, that he has very little if any claims on the consideration of the Board of Land & Works, because he has suffered no distress for a series of years, and the ferry privilege would certainly bring at his place a very much higher rent, if competition for it was invited.2 If he is left in fair possession of his privilege for an other year at so low a rental, he could certainly not complain, if an other ferry was opened mid way between his place & the City-bridge, especially at the time when his annual lease expires.
With kind regards
Ferd von Mueller.3
Brandon's licence fee had been reduced following catastrophic Yarra floods in December 1863; see C. Hodgkinson to M, 16 January 1864.
See also M to C. Hodgkinson, 18 February 1869.
On 30 June 1869 Hodgkinson recommended 'that Brandons license fee be increased to £20 per ann.' This recommendation was approved by the Board of Land and Works on 12 July 1869.
Please cite as “FVM-69-06-30,” 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