Botanic Garden
Melbourne, 12/5/73
Sir
In reply to your memo of the 9th inst.1 I have the honor to inform you that I consider as the most desirable work to be undertaken at present the extension of the building which contains the Victoria regia water-lily, it being understood by me from your minute that the extension of the Museum building is to stand over till more means are available. If you will be good enough to cause an officer of the Public Works department to call upon me, I shall, as responsible Director of the Botanic Garden, be able to explain to him professionally the accommodation required. As the present financial year is so near its expiration I would respectfully solicit that this work be taken in hand without delay.2
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller.
Director Botanic Garden
The Honorable the Minister of the Lands Department
See M to J. Casey, 11 April 1873, and notes thereto. The Secretary for Agriculture, A. Wallis, informed M on 9 May, ''The Honble The Minister of Lands & Agriculture desires me to request the Govt Botanist to furnish particulars of the buildings he wishes to be erected'.
On 14 May 1873, Casey minuted: 'The extension of the Museum Builg is not to stand over because there are no or not sufficient means available but that there is a dispute about the site. I have no objection to the [...] [...] [...]. Ask P.W. [Public Works Department] to confer with the Govt Botanist.' Wallis sent letters accordingly on the following day.
MS written by Georg Luehmann and signed by M.
Please cite as “FVM-73-05-12a,” 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