Bot Garden 6/4/71
Allow me, dear Mr Fitzgibbon, to draw your kind attention to the defective state of the fences from the Barracks to Prince's Bridge. The cattle from the flat come across the road and whenever by any negligence a gate is left open in my reserve, I have a horde of invading quadrupeds amusing themselves among my trees and requiring the united efforts of many nimble persons to drive them out of their elysium.
As I am so reduced in funds of the Department, and can ill spare any one away from his work, I hope you will have pity on me.
your regardful
Ferd. von Mueller
I will send my contribution to you soon for the French fund.1
During the Franco-Prussian War, funds for the relief of wounded soldiers, widows, orphans and distressed civilians of both sides were opened in Victoria. It is not known what role FitzGibbon played, nor to which of the funds that existed M is referring. At a meeting convened by W. A. Brahe, Consul in Melbourne for the North German Federation, M was elected to a committee for 'raising a fund to assist the soldiers wounded in the present war with France, and the widows and orphans of those who may be killed' (Age (Melbourne), 5 September 1871, p. 3). M was not alone in supporting funds for relief of both French and German victims; see, for example, the account of a German present at the meeting of the 'French residents in Melbourne' held on 30 September 1870 (Age (Melbourne), 1 October 1870, p. 2).
MS file annotation: 'Ansd'. Letter not found.
Please cite as “FVM-71-04-06,” 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