Document information

Physical location:

W62/5442, unit 749, VPRS 1189/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 62.08.15

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John O'Shanassy, 1862-08-15. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/62-08-15>, accessed April 20, 2025

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MS written by Ernst Heyne and signed by M.
Melbourne botan. Garden
August 15th 1862.
Sir
In compliance with the request conveyed in your circular No 3492,
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Circular not found.
I have the honor to submit the estimates of expenditure, which I would recommend as appropriate for the services of the botanic Garden and for the Office of the Governments Botanist during the year 1863.
1.) Salary to the Governments Botanist and Director of the botanic Garden
£600 - -
2.) Salary to the Assistant
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Carl Wilhelmi.
The Assistant having petitioned the Government, that his salary might be raised to its former amount of £300 pr. ann., it will be for the consideration of the Government, wether such augmentation should take place on the grounds, that this Officer in question has to provide for a family, and under the simultaneous consideration, that for economy's sake the services of the Assistant might be discontinued after the year 1863. Should previous to that time an opportunity occurr to transfer the services of this Officer to another department, the saving of this expenditure could already earlier be effected.
£300- -
or
£200 - -
3.) Wages to Gardeners, Artisans, botanic Collectors, Carters, Messengers, Laborers &c
It was my intention, notwithstanding that such an extensive area of ground has to be kept in order and to be improved upon, to propose a reduction in the annual expenditure of wages already for the year 1863. But under the consideration, that much extra work during the following year will be involved, not only by copious pine plantations between the Garden and the City bridge, but also by the probable extension of the Yan Yean Aquaeducts to the garden during the coming year, I still beg to recommend, that the above sum as equal to that granted for 1862 may again be sanctioned for wages in 1863.
At the same time I beg to bring under the notice of the Government, that all the smaller repairs on the buildings, fences, gates &c as well as other small tradesmen's work, the painting of the buildings, gates &c are to be defrayed out of this sum.
£4000 - -
4.) Purchase of plants and seeds (such as are not obtainable by interchange)
£150 - -
5.) Expenses of publishing works on Australian plants. (inclusive of an annual grant of £100.-.- towards the Universal Australian Flora published in London)
£320 - -
6.) Stores, stationery, timber, tools flowerpots, labels &c
£420 - -
7.) Forage for two draft horses and such quadrupedes, singing birds, water birds, fishes and other animals as are retained on the Lake or in the reserves of the botanic Garden
£220 - -
8.) Transit expenses for plants seeds & and incidental expenses
£120 - -
9.) Travelling expenses
£40 - -
I venture to bring under the notice of the honorable the Chief Secretary, wether the very select books of my private botanical library should not be permanently secured for this department.
In recommending this proposition to the favor of the Government, I beg to point out, that ever since I had the honor of holding Office, the requisite scientific works and instruments have been provided out of my private means, which always have been exhausted either in aiding in the accumulation of the collections of the botanical Museum (now by the donation of the private portion of the collections a permanent property of the State), or in maintaining the increase of scientific books, without which the strictly botanical duties of my office could not be performed.
The collection of botanical books, which I gradually secured since a series of years, is almost unique in regard to Australian plants, and its dispersion at any time would be an irreparable loss to the establishment. Hence the Government may perhaps be favorably inclined to secure the permanent acquisition of this library at valuation. A highly competent judge has recently valued it at approximately £1100.-.-. If permanently transferred to the department the library would need to be supplemented by the more important productions of the botanic literature at an annual expense of £100.-.- and this latter item I should venture to recommend of being placed on the estimates, even if the purchase of the library could not be effected during the coming year.
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Maroske, Sinkora & Cohn (1991).
In an annexed schedule I have enumerated the proposed items of expenditure for 1863, of which those marked with an asterisk would not be reoccurring.
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obedient and humble servant
Ferd. Mueller
The honorable the Chief Secretary.
Estimates for the Government Botanist's Office and the botanic Garden proposed for the year 1863
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The estimates presented to Parliament of £4,610 for the Salaries and wages and £1,130 for other expenses were agreed to on 5 December (Victorian Hansard, vol. 9, pp. 197, 198 respectively). In addition, a proposed vote of £1,100 for buildings, fences and other works for the Botanical Gardens was passed without opposition on 12 December (p, 244). The proposal to purchase M's library was not discussed during these debates. On 21 April 1863 an additional estimate of £25 was added for salaries and wages (p. 687).
Salaries and wages.
Government Botanist and Director of botanic Garden
£600 - -
*Assistant (£300)
200 - -
Wages for Gardeners, Artisans bot. Collectors &c
4000 - -
Contingencies
Purchase of plants & seeds
150 - -
Expense of publishing works on Australian plants
320 - -
Stores, stationery, timber tools, flowerpots, labels &c
420 - -
Forage for two draft horses & some quadrupedes, birds &c
220 - -
Transit expenses & incidental expenses
120 - -
Travelling expenses
40- -
*Botanical Library (or purchase of botanical books £100.-.-)
1200 - -
£7270 - -