Memo
I beg to make the following remarks in reply to the Govt. Botanist's memorandum of the 25.11.73, and those of his assistant and attendant appended thereto.1 After the Government had decided to discontinue the control of the Botanical Garden as a distinct Department, a letter, dated 13th May 1873, was forwarded to the Govt. Botanist informing him that the Government had had under consideration the adoption of suitable arrangements with a view to relieve him of duties of minor importance, and thereby to leave him free to devote the most of his attention to the prosecution of labors in the field of science. He was informed of the intention of the Govt. to discontinue the control of the Botanical Garden as a distinct Department, and of its resolve to merge that Garden and the reserve contiguous thereto under a competent curator, and was told that such decision would relieve him of his official connection with the Botanical Garden, and involve the vacation of the quarters which he had hitherto been permitted to occupy. The Govt., it was stated, desirous not to cause him pecuniary loss or inconvenience, had decided to increase his salary from £610 to £800 per annum, to afford him the assistance of an amanuensis, to provide funds to defray the cost of publishing the result of his researches, and to allow him the use of the Museum until a suitable site could be obtained elsewhere. It was intimated that his services in the manner indicated would be more appropriately recognised by being attached to the Department of the Honble. The Chief Secretary, and that on and after the 1st. July the arrangement indicated would be carried into effect, and he was requested to state at what time it would be convenient for him to give up possession of the quarters.
In accordance with the above, and in compliance with the request of Mr. Hodgkinson — whom the Minister had appointed to perform the duty — that I would act on his behalf, I attended at the Botanical Garden on the 2nd of July last and took delivery of the property thereof, excepting the Museum the use of which the Govt. Botanist, for the present and until other arrangements could be made, had been permitted to retain.
Among other things the Laboratory and property contained therein were delivered over to my custody. It is happened however that Mr. Rummel, the operator, who was permitted to sleep in the wooden building connected therewith, had the keys of the premises, except the one belonging to the front door which was handed to me; but as he was not in attendance — and I desire to state that he is the only person, except the Govt. Botanist, who absented himself when delivery was given — and had not, as I understood from Mr Lühmann, received notice to quit, I instructed that officer to see that Mr Rummel's bedding and other property was removed with the least practicable delay and then to lock the building and lodge the key in this office, as will be seen in reference to my memo of the 2.7.73, (copy appended) which, together with the keys and an inventory of the property delivered over I placed on Mr Hodgkinson's table on my return from the Gardens. Mr. Lühmann however, as I now learn, has chosen to disobey instructions, and to retain the keys.
When, a short time since, I desired to place Mr. Ivey, who is employed in connection with this department to make analysis of soils and to conduct other chemical investigations, in possession of the building, I discovered to my astonishment that it had been filled with a quantity of drying paper, and a number of Botanical specimens. On enquiry, I ascertained that these had been carried there by persons employed by the Govt. Botanist and boys from the Industrial School, and that leave to enter and make use of the building had neither been asked nor obtained by any person. Mr. Guilfoyle has informed me that he was unaware that the Govt. Botanist had resumed possession of the laboratory. He understood from Mr. Smith, foreman of the Domain Grounds, that the premises in question had him formally vacated by that officer, but was afterwards informed by one of the Employés that the Govt. Botanist was using the building as a place for drying plants. Mr. Guilfoyle regrets that, owing to his recent accession to office and latterly to inability through protracted illness, he has been unable to give matters connected with the Botanical Garden that amount of attention which he otherwise would have done. It will be seen on reference to the Govt. Botanist's memo of the 25.11.73, that a duplicate key of the laboratory was retained by him when delivery was given of that building on his behalf, a circumstance which was not mentioned at the time.
As regards the statement made by Mr. Lühmann in his memo of the 25.11.73, that "on two occasions when an officer of the Lands Department — Mr. Wallis he believed — wished to inspect the place, the messenger from the Garden came to the Museum for the keys and brought them back again", I beg to state that on no occasion when I have visited the laboratory has the key been obtained from the Museum. I understand that on one occasion when Mr. Ivey desired to enter the building, the key was obtained by the messenger from the Museum, Mr. Foreman Smith who had charge of the key being absent at the time; but on no other occasion has the building been entered by an officer of this department by means of a key obtained from the Museum.
As regards the statement made by Mr. Groener in his memo of the same date, viz, "that the key of the wooden building connected with the laboratory has never been demanded by the Lands Department, I beg to state that such statement is contrary to the fact as, when taking delivery of the premises, I inquired of Mr. Luhmann whether he had got the key of the outer door, and was informed that there was no key to it, that it was never used, and that the building was always approached through the Laboratory, the way that I entered and inspected it on the occasion referred to.
As such interference on the part of the Govt. Botanist retards materially the work of this Department, I desire to ask the Honble The Minister to request the Honble. The Chief Secretary to be good enough to cause the Govt. Botanist to be informed that he is not to enter or make use of buildings under the control of this Department without first having obtained permission so to do, and that he is to deliver up any keys in his possession, belonging to the buildings in question.2
A. R. Wallis
1.12.73
M to J. Francis, 25 November 1873; G. Luehmann to M, 25 November 1873 (in this edition as 73-11-25b); C. Groener to M, 25 November 1873 (in this edition as 73-11-25a).
On the same day, the Minister, J. J. Casey, noted on Walis's memorandum: 'While approving of Mr. Wallis memorandum & in forwarding it to the Hon. Chief Secty, I would earnestly urge on Mr. Francis that he would take immediate steps to provide a suitable place for the Govt. Botanist, elsewhere than either the Domain or Botanical Gardens. He has only been allowed the use of the Museum, until other arrangements can be made. It is very desirable that some other arrangements be made without delay.' Wallis then forwarded the document to the Chief Secretary, James Francis, who directed that M should vacate the laboratory building forthwith; see W. Odgers to M, 5 December 1873 (in this edition as 73-12-05a).
Please cite as “FVM-M73-12-01,” 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