Melbourne Botanic Garden
24/9/69
Dear Sir,
I had the honor of submitting your recent letter addressed to Clem. Hodgkinson Esqr. to a meeting of the trustees of the Royal Park, held on the 21st. inst, when I was instructed by my colleagues to inform you, that nothing could be more desired by them than to encourage, as they always had done, in future also visits to the Park and recreation in that area.1 But the trustees beg me to point out at the same time, that the duty devolves on them to see to the due observance of the rules, in order that not by any transgressions the pleasures of the general visitors might be disturbed, the traffic impeded, even accidents rendered possible or public property damaged.
The Superintendent of the Park explained to the trustees, how on some recent occasions he had been compelled to interfere with undue actions of visitors of the ground, and by desire of the trustees I beg to annex a statement drawn up by the Superintendent2 for the information of the City Council, and I may still add that on no former occasion complaints have been raised against the exercise of the regulations.
I have the honor to remain,
dear Sir,
your very regardful
Ferd. von Mueller.
E. G. Fitzgibbon Esqr.
Town Clerk of Melbourne.
See M to C. Hodgkinson, 24 September 1869 (in this edition as 69-09-24a).
E. Lissignol to M et al., 21 September 1869.
MS written by C. Wilhelmi and signed by M.
At a meeting of the Trustees of the Royal Park on 21 September 1869, 'A letter was then submitted from E. G. Fitzgibbon Esq. the town clerk of Melbourne complaining in general terms about alleged disturbance offered to public plays and recreation at the Royal Park. After a very satisfactory explanation of the Superintendent of the Park it was resolved that Mr Lissignol be requested to furnish the honorary Secretary with a statement of certain transgressions of the rules recently committed by visitors of the park for the information of the City Council and that in submitting this statement the hon. Secretary should express to Mr Fitzgibbon that nothing could be more agreeable to the trustees than to continue to encourage recreation at and visits to the Park but that it was their duty to uphold the rules in order that not by transgressions the pleasure of the general visitors might be disturbed, the traffic impeded, even accidents rendered possible, or public property such as the fences etc. injured and he was to point out that on no former occasion complaints had been made against the exercises of the rules.' (A345 Royal Park Zoological Society letter and minute book, pp. 160-1, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney).
For a copy of this letter, see A345 Royal Park Trustees letter and minute book, p. 36, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.
Please cite as “FVM-69-09-24,” 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