Melbourne Botanic Garden
25th March 18711
Sir
Having received information that my requisitions for Public Works:
for the Annex to a gardeners cottage (£12.19/5d), for the formation of a drive through Govt. House Reserve (pps. £195.), and for Repairs to the Steam Engine (£40. -) have received your approval, I now have the honor to solicit your favorable consideration of the remaining requisitions viz
No 2, Repairs to a gardeners cottage £43. -. -. This repair is most urgently required, the cottage being uninhabitable in its present state; part of it is used as a store room, and the tools and other Govt. stores would be in danger of getting spoilt during the wet season, as the roof lets in the rain in different places.
New Roof for Seed Magazine £40.) This building, besides being utilized as a seed store, affords shelter to visitors in hot or rainy weather. The old shingle roof is fully 20 years old.
No 4, 2 New Gates £30. - (One at the entrance near the Immigrants Home, the other at Anderson Street).2
No 5, Painting and writing Iron Labels for plants £40. -
Wooden Tallies £9. -
The remainder of the vote, £90. - more or less, I recommend to be devoted as per requisition No 3 to the continuation of the Fence along Domain Road, part of which was reserved already in 1869; the old fence is about 20 years old and quite dilapidated, and the whole of it as well as that along the St Kilda road requires to be replaced, as soon as funds become available, by a more substantial and sightly fence.3
In reference to the more recent requisition for the construction of a spacious tank, which was submitted in consequence of the breaking of the engine, I beg to request that it may be withdrawn for the present, the early rains of this season placing me beyond anxiety for the cooler months, even in the absolute absence of Yan Yean water, although it will be impossible to work even on Sundays the only fountain in the Garden until the tank is provided, or to afford the necessary water pressure for some parts of the ground. I indulge, however, in the hope that this tank can be built in July next from new votes.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Director Botanic Garden
The Honorable the Chief Secretary4
MS is accompanied by a requisition, completed by Luehmann and signd by M, for ‘Erection of a new Picket Fence for the Botan. Reserve along Domain Road and Anderson Street about 120 rods @ 30/ pr rod’.
MS annotation in an unknown hand bracketing: 'The remainder … sightly fence': 'The Estimate is £200'.
Please cite as “FVM-71-03-25c,” 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 16 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/71-03-25c