The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botan. Garden ¶ 3/11/68. ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ In compliance with your request I have the honor of submitting to you statements in reference to the anticipated expenditure in the botanic Garden and sci...

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Physical location:

Q68/17564, unit 750, VPRS 44/P inward registered and unregistered correspondence, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria. 68.11.03

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James Grant, 1868-11-03. 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/68-11-03>, accessed September 11, 2025

Melbourne botan. Garden

3/11/68.

Sir

In compliance with your request I have the honor of submitting to you statements in reference to the anticipated expenditure in the botanic Garden and scientific institutions connected therewith

and scientific ... therewith interlined.

during the year 1869.

1, Salary of the Gov. Botanist and Director

The 1868 salaries vote was £960, but it included £350 for 'Assistant botanist' (Parliamentary paper 1868, B 6, p. 38). In M to J. Grant, 3 November 1868 (in this edition as 68-11-03a) that probably accompanied these estimates, M suggested abolition of the post of Assistant Botanist, occupied by Carl Wilhelmi. M had been trying for some years to abolish this post; see M to J. McCulloch, 25 February 1866. Wilhelmi remained in the position until 31 December 1868; M provided a testimonial dated 3 February 1869.

£610.

2, Wages to Gardeners, travelling botanical Collector, Operator in the Laboratory, Custodian and Amanuensis in the bot. Museum, Artisans, 2 Carters, 1 Carpenter, 1 Signwriter, 1 Messenger, several labourers and Gardenboys

The published 1868 budget was for £4,000, but the annotation (see n. 5 below) had £3,800.

£3680.

This sum provides for the maintenance of the garden, the three reserves adjoining, the Laboratory, the Museum, the distribution of plants to public institutions, progressive work such as the formation of the main-drive, providing seed collections for interchanges, effecting small repairs to buildings, providing cut flowers to teameetings for public decorations &c., renewing painted garden labels, rearing trees and other useful plants for the intended forest culture. Any further reduction of this item would necessitate abolishing one branch or the other of the service. But if the vegetable analyses for industrial purposes were discontinued, they would at once involve an additional outlay in any other Gov. Laboratory. The sum spent in the Office is somewhat over £200.-.-; in the laboratory also about £200.-.-; in the Museum about £160.-.-, in the three reserves about £600.-.-, thus leaving about £2500 for the garden, conservatories, nurseries, collecting purposes and repairs to garden buildings, drains, waterpipes, seats &c

3, Purchase of such plants and seeds as are not available by interchange, for both museum and garden, also grass seeds for improvement of the lawns	£150
4, Expenses connected with the publication of works on Australian plants and on industrial objects 4 The 1868 budget published in the estimates was £350, but the annotation (see n. 5 below) was £150 for 1868 for this item.	£150
5, Stores, Stationery for Office Garden and Museum, Timber, drainpipes, waterpipes, Chemicals for laboratory, Gardentools, flowerpots, Canvass for roofs of Conservatories, Glass, Tiles, Fuel for green houses and for water engine &c.	£350
6. Forage for carthorses and food for waterbirds and singing birds	£140
7, Transit and Incidental Expenses for small repairs and sundry minor purchases	£120
8, Travelling Expenses	£40
Total 5 There is a tabulated annotation comparing the 1868 expenditure with that proposed for 1869, demonstrating a saving of £620. M's proposals were included in the estimates for 1869 without further reduction (Victoria, Parliamentary Paper, 1869, B 2, p. 33). The total reduction, compared with the 1868 published estimates, was £1020. Reductions to the expenditure were made during the year which will explain the differences between the 1868 cost annotations and the published 1868 estimates. M needed to discharge several gardeners; M to J, Grant, 13 August 1868. The amount of the wages reduction must have been £200 (see n. 3 above) but when the remaining reductions in the budget were made is not known.	£5240

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your obedient servant,

Ferd. von Mueller.

The honorable J. M. Grant, M.P., President of the Board of Land & Works