To Alfred Deakin¹    11 May 1883

Copy

Melbourne, 11th May 1883

Sir

In compliance with orders from the Honorable the Chief Secretary I have the honor of submitting to you herewith an estimate of expenditure for public works in the department of the Govt. Botanist for the finance year 1883/1884. I may be allowed to remark that since the last 10 years no special vote for my establishment has been obtained from the Public Works Department, although I was favored on several occasions by aid out of the general vote for "fittings and furniture". The large increase of the botanic collections and material connected therewith since many years, and now also the acquisition of the great Sonderian collection by the Victorian Government renders some more accommodation at the Botanic Museum absolutely necessary. I have however not ventured to ask a large sum for the extension of the Museum, but in merely soliciting £450 I trust that the Government will not curtail that sum. Even if the Sonderian herbarium were finally to be placed elsewhere, it will be necessary to put such a very large and highly valuable collection into such form, as to render it publicly accessible to advantage, a process involving several years labor by myself at the present Museum of Botany. In proposing that an iron annex be built, I am anxious after the sad experiences lately of an other office building of an other department,² to render the collections as safe against fire as I can; moreover the Sonderian collections will arrive towards the end of this year, by which time no stone-building from new annual votes could be erected. An iron shed could at any time be taken down again and the material used for other purposes.

I have the honor to be Sir

Your obedient servant

Ferd. von Mueller,

Gov. Botanist.

The Honorable the Minister of Public Works

Estimate of Expenditure for public works in the establishment of the Govt. Botanist during 1883-1884.

Iron or other Annex to the Botanic Museum, with shelves

£450

Ferd. von Mueller.

11/5/83.