Melbourne Botanic Garden
6th February 1872
Sir
Availing myself of your permission, I have the honor to submit my views on the report, recently presented by a Board upon the Botanic Garden.1
The Board seems to have been formed to consider, whether it would be necessary to bring into operation an altered organisation, by which the garden might be kept in the best possible condition, without interfering with the Director's services as a botanist.
In answer I beg respectfully to submit, that an administration of the Botanic Garden on principles, essentially different to those which were formerly in force, would not be advisable in the general interest of the country, and further that the strictly scientific working of the Department would be unavoidably impaired or even rendered ineffective by any restrictions of the Director's former functions and authority.
No instructions were received from any of the successive ministerial chiefs to adopt an altered system of management; nor was the Director called on at any time by his superiors to explain the causes of any supposed defects in the Department. The scope of the services moreover, which the Director endeavoured to carry out, extended far beyond those of an ordinary botanist, and embraced also horticultural operations and researches to a very wide extent. All the varied and yet closely connected objects of a real botanic garden were recently explained at length in a lecture at the Industrial Museum.2
The Director has been summoned only to one of the 22 meetings, held by the Board, and has had no opportunity whatever to interrogate those, who tendered their opinions or advise. He had access only to fragmentary notes of evidence, continued in most cases unaware of their sources, and remained altogether unacquainted with the answers given by the employés of the Garden itself.
He provided however, when requested, a full statement on the intention and work of the Department,3 and the Board had also access to the successive official reports on the Garden, presented to Parliament.
The few and mostly brief visits of the Board to the Garden and Reserves were not sufficient, according to the Director's opinion, for obtaining really full information, particularly as the Director was not desired to be in attendance during any of these visits. Furthermore the original constitution of the Board was so altered through the lamented death of Mr. Hammill, as to give predominance to its horticultural members.
In fairness to the Director's defence, it devolves also on him to point out, that he found it necessary to remonstrate officially against the appointment of one of the horticultural members of the Board, on account of the severe hostility evinced publicly on repeated occasions by this member against the Director's administration.4 Moreover the Board, while adjudicating on a scientific department did not contain a single scientific member.
The Board submits to have obtained information as to the cost and system of management of botanic gardens in the neighbouring colonies; but it does not seem necessary, that such institutions should all be framed on precisely the same basis. No data of comparison are given in the Report. The Sydney Garden and Park, as far as laid out comprise not fully one third of the area of the Melbourne Botanic Garden and its Reserves, as far as planted (the lagoons in the latter instance uncounted) whereas the sums voted for the maintenance of the Sydney institution have within the last two years been almost twice as large as the present vote for the Melbourne Botanic Garden, all expenses of the scientific branches of the latter institution included, but orphan labor not taken into account. Yet the Sydney Garden has very much the advantage of age. The area laid out at Adelaide is about one sixth of ours, and yet the votes there are more than half of those at present available at the Melbourne establishment. In both the neighbouring institutions however larger zoological collections are kept than here at present. With greater advantage in shelter, soil and water supply and with comparatively large means these excellent and well managed institutions of our neighbouring colonies achieved great successes in superior ornamentations and floral displays; but they were not called on to furnish very extensive supplies, or to enter on ample scientific or industrial researches, or to issue voluminous publications. It is further in the Melbourne Botanic Garden only, where large phytologic museum collections and a phytochemic laboratory exist. If in some former years votes, nearly twice as large as at present, were granted to our institution, then also lasting information and permanent property can be shown as the proportionate result.
Kew Garden, aged as it is, with an area but little larger than our own, had of late approximately £20,000 a year voted by the House of Commons, exclusive of heavy building expenditure, though wages in England are much lower than here. In some years not very long ago the votes for Kew Garden were even twice as large.
In all these institutions, English as well as colonial, undivided executive authority is given to a responsible Director by the system ruling their management. The Board endeavoured to ascertain the opinion of those in Victoria, who are most interested in the welfare of the institution, but the Director submits, that but very few of those of our fellow colonists, best able to judge, can have had an opportunity of tendering their advise, and he is aware, that much of the evidence, sought or accepted by the Board, emanated from parties neither unprejudiced nor impartial.
Proceeding to review the successive paragraphs of the Report, the Director may be permitted to offer the following observations:
1. The statement that the Director, when he obtained control of the Department, seemed to have devoted his attention almost exclusively to science, is not in accordance with facts. The plants introduced by the Director were not exclusively valuable for industrial pursuits only, but also important in many other respects; the number distributed since 1858 to public institutions exceeded half a million. The acknowledgement of the Board, that the Director accumulated a very extensive and valuable collection of plants proves his ability of maintaining such a collection under cultivation.
2. The Board from returns furnished gives the expenditure of the whole Department from 1857 to 1870 inclusive at £79,181. — besides £16,019. — being expended under the authority of the Department of Public Works. But the Board did not enter on any valuation of the property, which arose from the above total expenditure. The property professionally valuated in 1870 was estimated at £98,287. — according to a detail return, called for by Parliament.
3. The Board contends, that the Garden has not been so managed, as to have given general satisfaction. The experience of the Director leads to different conclusions. On Sunday afternoons as many as 5000 visitors may be seen in the Garden, evidently deriving much enjoyment and instruction therefrom, while even throughout the country districts the services of the Department are generally recognized with full satisfaction. In all instances the views of a few who however do not express public opinion will be opposed to those of the general community; thus it is the Director's opinion, that the agitation and criticism of a very limited number of adversaries originated either from imperfect information or from a studious and designed endeavour to mislead the public mind, and for this purpose imperfections as yet unavoidable were unfairly drawn into notice, or in public discussions as a rule all credit was withheld, where ever it was due.
The views, held by the Director, are stated to be opposed to those held by the public; but the Director, who had large opportunities to judge, is impressed with the persuasion, that his administrative ideas are in perfect accord with the wishes of the community at large. Moreover the votes of the establishment were passed in 1869 1870 and 1871 by the Legislative Assembly either with full approval of the Director's sole administration, or only with solitary expressions of dissent. The Board charges the Director with want of practical skill to design, lay out and maintain the Garden in a proper state of culture, but he may be allowed to draw attention to the complete plans of design, which in 1865 and 1869 he submitted through the ministerial chief to Parliament;5 he may further be permitted to observe, that nearly the whole area is laid out already, and lastly that a scientific botanist is best able to understand the many and varied requirements of the plants of a real botanic garden.
The Director besides had always good professional gardeners at his command. The victoria regia waterlily is flowering now for the sixth year in an inexpensive tank. No other Victorian horticulturist reared it.6 Numerous other instances of skilful cultivation under the Director's control must be obvious to any unbiassed observer. Much, that at first sight may appear unfavorable to the Director's management, admits of ready explanation.
Neither the garden nor the park plantations of our young institution are as yet completed. If it is only the object to find fault, then the best and most advanced establishment might be unfavorably criticized. The heavy foundation work absorbed much of the means and labor of the Department.
Thus any shortcomings are traceable to causes very different to those given by the Board, such as the absence of Yan Yean water, the exposed position and sterility of the soil, the want of lasting building stone on the spot; or imperfections may be traced to the prior necessity of securing the Garden against floods, or of providing miles of glazed drain pipes, galvanized water pipes, iron fences, or numerous buildings, a steam engine and forcing pumps for lifting Yarra water, besides cisterns, bridges, gutters &c.7
The Board taxes the Director with absence of all taste, but no instances are given to support this assertion. Statues can be purchased at any time; so costly fountains, iron edgings and other ornamentations, but loss of time in forming the tree plantations over the wide area could not have been regained. Yan Yean pressure, even on Sunday afternoons, is withheld from the solitary Geyser fountain.
The bowers, the various palm groups, the aviary, the Araucaria plantations, the islands, the ferntree gully (the first one ever formed here), further the Grevillea and other avenues were always regarded as the exponents of taste. Much scenic group planting, as well as the introduction of Bamboos, Papyrus, epiphytal Orchids, Cacteae and a vast number of other conspicuous or decorative plants claim ideality for what is handsome and grand, so far as such could be displayed within existing means and in the face of local and natural difficulties.
The beauty of many tree groups was destroyed by the removal of numerous trees from intended permanent positions to Parliament House, the Treasury and other Reserves.8
The Board regards the Director's management of garden labor as unsuccessful. His system, adopted under ministerial sanction in 1857, to allot to each gardener special ground, is the least expensive and most effective mode of working in an establishment like ours. It is the surest system to guard against losses, and evokes a thorough interest of the gardeners in their work.
4. The establishment is not rendered merely botanical. The statement, that other objects remained comparatively undeveloped cannot be regarded as just. Only a few acres are devoted to the systematic class ground. The appointment of an other almost independent functionary for the cultural operations rendered within the last two years the intended rearrangement of many plants for geographic medicinal or industrial instruction an impossibility. An earlier rearrangement was prevented by seasons of drought, or by other still more urgent obligations, such as the formation of the flood dam. So also much intended embellishment had to be postponed.
The Board expresses an opinion, that with the fund placed at the disposal of the Director much more ought to have been accomplished; but the Board adduces no facts in support of this view. No large sums were expended, for which under existing difficulties more could have been done. The Director caused not even a single dwelling room to be built for his personal comfort, though by the parliamentary votes it was intended ever since 1857, that quarters should be provided. No permanent fences, drains nor waterworks of any kind, nor a single tree line, nor any extended tree plantation existed prior to his directorship; so also but very few buildings were constructed previous to his directorial administration.
In restricting the expense of the ordinary but ephemeral flower-culture within fair boundaries means for permanent work were saved; thus for instance by due economy the extensive Government House Reserve was transformed from a bare ridge to a park.
Flowers, when grown, had largely to be supplied since 15 years for tea meetings, bazaars and other public fetes. The facilities moreover for ordinary floral displays are far greater on most of the other Government parks, than in the Botanic Garden, through gratuitous water supply, better soil, shelter and access to sewerage.
The direct and indirect expenditure for the simple park plantations at the other city reserves has also been considerable, although such serve hardly any purposes of science or supply.
During the last two favorable seasons the propagator of the Garden has grown the ordinary flowers on a still more extensive scale for massive planting, but meanwhile much progressive work of a lasting character had to be deferred.
That banded flowers were to be drawn through well prepared lawns, as seen by the Director fully 30 years ago in Europe, was stated long since in his reports submitted to Parliament.
If the ministerial chief should intimate a more extensive cultivation of florist's flowers as desirable it will at once be carried out, and the needful reductions be made in other directions.
In some instances, when savings might have been effected, the Director found himself baffled by supposed vested rights of the employés,9 or inadequate support of his authority, or other causes, over which a public officer has little or no control.
The Board desires opportunities for horticultural education. One of the best gardeners of the Botanic Garden learnt the horticultural profession entirely under the Director's administration.
This is a proof that horticultural teaching also proceeded in the establishment.
5. The Board finds fault with the copiousness of the trees in the plantations formed by the Director. In a climate like ours close shade is imperative; the same water, which serves for the irrigation of distant trees, may flow along double or triple their number. Thus early shade is gained, and subsequent generations can transmove the surplus, if needed, even without loss.
The trees, — the Director begs to submit —, are not in an unsatisfactory state; over most of the ground they are thriving surprisingly, although in very many places the rock actually reaches to the surface. Even the Board acknowledges the growth of the trees, on soil where favorable, as most luxuriant and finds them at present extremely ornamental. The Director entertains no fear on the success of all the plantations formed by him; the trees in all instances have been selected in accordance with the nature of the spot, for which they were chosen. The willows were planted over the ridge at a time, when Yan Yean water seemed permanently available, to get rapidly some shelter. The summit of the ridge intended for Government House was purposely left unplanted, in order that the ground might be laid out in harmony with the design of the building; hence no censure in this respect is deserved. If any objection can be taken to close tree planting, then it applies with far more force to the other Melbourne parks than to the ground under the Director's control. The rows of basket and weeping willows along the Yarra are planted closely to consolidate the banks and to guard against accidents.
The process of trenching and manuring 300 acres can only be a gradual one, unless a large grant is purposely obtained from Parliament.
The holes prepared for the reception of the trees are not all undrained; besides from year to year many of them have been enlarged, as far as circumstances admitted. This very system of planting gave to Melbourne early its large and comparatively inexpensive tree plantations.
6. A considerable extent of the special garden ground was planted before the Director assumed office; hence he cannot be held responsible for the position of every tree and bush within that area.
For any multiplication of specimens and their alleged languid growth good reasons could have been given, had the Director been called on to explain such. The thinning system adopted during the last two years without the Director's authority, has deprived the garden of many valuable plants. It broke also intended shade line, advancing already to closeness, by interspersion of mere flower patches. For any inferior modes of culture in the Botanic Garden the Director cannot be held responsible after the temporary appointment of the Inspector of Forests to the horticultural administration.
Subsoil draining is a mere matter of expenditure.
7. Not everything in a garden can or ought to be blended; yet much harmony was called forth also here. Bold contrasts are dictated on some spots, if a pleasing and grand effect is to be produced. Plans of the Director's design were in the hands of all the gardeners, who also otherwise were informed of his objects, as far as it was necessary.
The surveillance, exercised by the Director while yet unhindered, was perfectly sufficient for the limited number of employés, stationed as they were. He found no difficulty in directing the practical work; he being moreover acquainted by lengthened travels and field studies with the natural and therefore also cultural requirements of most plants.
The engagement of an additional mere superintending officer at a comparatively high salary would sacrifice sums, sufficient to maintain 3 or 4 working gardeners.
Any amount of curatorship will fail to secure the well-working of the horticultural establishment, if the gardeners do not appreciate with fidelity the limited trust imposed on them. But in most cases the Director did not find them undeserving of this trust.
Mutual communication between the gardeners was encouraged; all were impressed with the object of their working only for the public good.
8. While lately much labor was spent on some of the lawns and on massive culture of ordinary flowers at a few spots, but little progressive work went on; meanwhile other portions of the area suffered severely and thus great losses were sustained.
The labor of the orphan-boys obtainable only since quarters were available for them in the former military barracks, rendered it comparatively easy to keep the garden freer of weeds than in some of the former years; the garden labor during the last two summers of comparative moisture was also far less taxed for watering purposes than previously.
The formation of more than half a mile of drive was lately effected by the Director himself under the authority of the office of Public Works; besides the greatest part of the fencing on the Domain Road was renewed, some new walks were laid out through the Reserves and lined with select trees, and also other lasting improvements to buildings, nursery sheds &c were indepently effected by the Director himself. Had his administration not been disturbed, the Garden in all respects would since have advanced to a state far superior to that, which it now presents.
9. The recommendation of the Board to render the Garden not only botanical, but also horticultural, seems not clear. In no part of the Garden identical plants were grown in large masses with a view of permanency unless for industrial purposes. The tree groups in the Reserves are either picturesque already, or can be rendered so by the intended interplantations.
The industrial plantations were formed on the banks of the lagoon at a time, when water was obtainable only by cartage from the Yarra or by hand labor from the lagoon.
10. The mediterranean pines, densely planted along the domain road, form to a great extent only a temporary plantation. The surplus of the smaller plants will be removed, when the remainder of the new fence, now under contract, shall have been completed. All the walks are planted in such a manner as to admit of their being widened by several feet; provision moreover is made for collateral walks in many instances, and double collateral planting along the whole mile's length of willow-walk and elsewhere has been carried out already by the Director.
Extensive portions of the ground will continue unsuited for the successful rearing of many select "trees of noble proportions," until more shelter can be raised, the soil be richly manured, and an adequate water-supply be secured. It has been always the aim of the Director, to render every portion of the ground under his control available as well for pleasure as for instruction, so far as this could be accomplished as yet with existing means; the information afforded has however not merely been local, but proved of advantage to the colony at large.
11. The scientific branches of the Botanic Garden are so intimately connected with those of the various cultures, as to render it impossible to draw a line of demarcation between them.
A system of divided authority, as recommended by the Board, would also here be inadmissible; it would only add to the Director's labor instead of simplifying it. After toiling ever so much for the acquisition of plants the Director would have the prospect of seeing them largely lost again, if his authority continued in any way impaired, while in many respects his studies under such adverse circumstances could not be rendered any longer fruitful to the whole colony in their fullest extent.
The Botanic Garden is supported out of the general revenue, not by a municipal vote. Hence the equitable desire of the country districts for supply; hence the wish that such an institution should serve scientific and industrial purposes at large.
Yet it was never the intention to abandon flower-culture, even of the ordinary kind, in the Botanic Garden, but rather to seek its highest development by the acquisition of the rarest and most varied of showy plants from all parts of the globe, in order to combine thus with such floral display the means of extensive information.
The system of horticultural administration, advocated by the Board, would virtually abolish the directorship. Double authority might as well be established in the class-ground, museum and laboratory. If additional horticultural talent is to be secured from abroad it would in the Director's opinion be advisable to give scope for its display on new ground.
In the annual official reports of the great Kew Garden the name or functions of the Curator are, as a rule, not even mentioned, though the number of employés there is several times larger than here. There also the Curator now-a-days simply carries out the orders of the Director. In like manner no necessity for an independent curatorship has ever arisen on the Parks of our Lands Department. A Curator, selected in England, could not possibly possess the necessary experience, to administrate with advantage a botanic garden in our climatic zone, unless he had lived here for a lengthened period before.
12. The recommendation of effecting a financial division of the scientific and cultural branches of the Department is not only inconsiderate, but also in reality impracticable. The former Civil Service Commission recommended the combination of the horticultural administration with the Director's office.
13. The Director did not undertake more work than he could supervise. The active exercise, necessary for health, afforded him daily also the opportunity, to give to his professional gardeners the needful orders on the ground. The report itself admits in an other place; that practical foremen were employed.
14. Whether the existing rules, under which plants were distributed or exchanged, should remain in force or be repealed or be altered, depends entirely on the views of the Government, and this does not affect the principle of administration. Not only the distributed pot-plants were good, but also those numerous kinds, which are not amenable to pot culture, such as elms, poplars, willows, mulberries, buddleyas &c.
To impede interchanges with private persons by expecting from them absolute novelties in exchange is undesirable. Besides manifold claims have to be recognized in acknowledgement of free transits, museum contributions, aid in travels and other services rendered to the Establishment.
After twenty years administrative service in the Department it may be conceded to the Director, to submit now some propositions for the future welfare of an institution, in which he sunk the best years of his life, all his means, all his time and thoughts, and which he formed not merely to serve the requirements of the passing time, but to fulfil also great and lasting purposes of the future.
He accordingly ventures to propose:
1. That the Director should continue to exercise full and sole authority in all branches of the Department under orders of the ministerial chief, to whom he remains responsible.
2. That the Director may be permitted to select a head-gardener, to see his directions carried out in reference to ordinary garden work, such appointment to be subject to the approval of the ministerial chief, the yearly salary to be not less than £150.— with quarters, and such payment to be saved out of the existing labor vote.
3. That the headgardener be rendered solely responsible to the Director, and not be invested with any independent power.
4. That the headgardener, subject to the approval of the Director, may engage and discharge the ordinary gardeners and laborers; the rate of their remuneration to be fixed under ministerial sanction by the Director.
5. That a few areas for experimental culture in the ranges and in other localities of climatic diversity may be granted to the Botanic Department, and that in each of such areas a cultivator with a limited number of orphan boys be maintained by special means.
6. That the office building and museum building be early extended, to provide proper accommodation and convenience for the increasing work of the Department.
7. That special funds be provided for the needful extension of the phytographic museum collections, in order that the literary publications of the Department and its scientific researches can be carried on with due facility and advantage.
8. That the funds absolutely necessary for books, instruments, office-light, transits, foreign interchanges and many other strictly departmental expenses, which were borne hitherto solely or largely by the Director, be specially provided on the estimates.
9. That through the Department of Public Works special provision may gradually be made for the renewal of the fences on the St Kilda Road, for the enlargement of the storage tank for Yarra water (raised by the pumping engine), also for the formation of a drive on the northern base of the Yarra ridge and for the deepening of the lagoon near the city bridge (to transform the same into a lake of permanent water with islands.) Further that provision hereafter be made for a pavilion, to serve horticultural exhibitions; that the Victoria regia house and other conservatories be finally enlarged, and that the means for some statues, grottoes and fountains be specially provided.
10. That the main surplus of plants of sylvan or rural importance, whenever arising in the nurseries of the Botanic Garden through its interchanges or otherwise, as well as any main surplus of seeds of timber trees and other industrial plants at any time available in the Department, be transferred at the sole discretion of the Director to the forest and industrial areas.
11. That by the award of small prizes at each public school the formation of local collections of preserved plants be called forth, with a view of affording permanent information in each locality, regarding its indigenous vegetation; duplicate collections to be forwarded to the Director for his naming the respective species.
12. That every facility be afforded for simplifying the necessarily multifarious communications with the Department of Public Works, while the extensive operations for building Government-House will be under progress.
In respectfully submitting these replies to the Report of the Commission and these propositions for the future maintenance, development and utilisation of the Botanic Establishment, the Director remains ready, to enter into fuller explanations on any points, which in a brief document like this, dealing with the interests of a large and widely ramified professional Department, may not have been rendered sufficiently clear.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Direct. botan. Garden.
The honorable the Chief Secretary10
Araucaria
Cacteae
Grevillea
Papyrus
Please cite as “FVM-72-02-06,” 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 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/72-02-06