Melbourne, 13th April 1889
Sir
I have the honor to inform you that, in accordance with approved requisition, tenders are called for a fence around the Botanic Museum in yesterday's Government Gazette by the Dept. of Public Works. I know desire to draw your attention to the fact that the Domain, in which the Museum is situated, is under the control of the Department of Lands, and it may therefore be necessary to communicate with the Honorable the Minister of Lands in regard to this fence — even if only for form's sake, as the ground surrounding the Botanic Museum has always been considered as belonging to it. The area proposed to be enclosed is about one (1) acre.1
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Govt. Botanist
The Honorable the Chief Secretary
H. Moors, for the Under Secretary, forwarded M's letter to the Secretary for Lands who replied on 9 May: 'There is no objection to the erection of this fence on the part of this Department'. The file was forwarded to M for his information and he returned it 'with best thanks' on 11 May.
Tenders had been invited for the fencing by the Public Works Office, closing date 2 May, in Victoria Government Gazette, no. 42, 12 April 1889, p. 1289. A contract for £118 was awarded to Klein and Liebe for 'Picket fencing and gates to enclose Botanic Museum, Melbourne' (Victoria Government Gazette, no. 55, 17 May 1889, p.1616).
MS written by Georg Luehmann and signed by M.
Please cite as “FVM-89-04-13,” 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