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O60/223, unit 748, VPRS 1189/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 60.01.05Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to William Nicholson, 1860-01-05. 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//letters/1860-9/1860/60-01-05-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
1
MS written by Carl Wilhelmi and signed by M.
5 January 1860.
Sir
In reporting on the progress of the work of this department during the month of December
1859, I have the honor to inform you, that the 9 & 10 fascicle of my fragmenta phyt.
Austral.
have been issued and that therewith the first volume of this publication is completed
and can be edited as soon as the index is printed.
2
B59.12.01, B59.12.02.
3
B59.13.04.
Altho' this purely scientific elaboration will not like my work on "the plants of
Victoria"
be of direct interest to the multitude of the colonists, it will still be I trust
regarded as an acceptable addition to botanical literature and as a source of reference
by those, who will hereafter study our public collection of plants. The latter will
as soon as the museum is completed
be accessible, and it is pleasing for me to report, that we have received most valuable
and interesting contributions towards it from Mr Oldfield,
who during the month returned from a 18 months journey to the northern districts
of Western Australia. The "Flora of Victoria" has lately not progressed press, owing
to the want of the particular paper required at the Government Printing office.
4
B62.03.03.
5
The herbarium building was completed in February 1860, see M to W. Nicholson, 29 February 1860.
6
Augustus Frederick Oldfield.
I would beg to solicit on this occasion, that your Honor may be pleased to sanction
the distribution
on behalf of the Victorian Government
of the fragmenta to such institutions and scientific men, who are likely to turn
the work to advantageous use, by which means the Victorian Government would participate
in that liberality towards the promotion of knowledge, which now characterizes most
of the states of the civilized world.
7
On 10 January 1860 the Under Secretary, J. Moore minuted: 'Inform Dr Mueller that
the proposed distribution of Copies of his Fragmenta is approved'. See J. Moore to
M, 12 January 1860 (in this edition as 60-01-12b).
Besides smaller contributions to the Herbarium collections have been received from
Dr. Beckler,
who is now exploring the Botany of the northern Alps of New South Wales, and from
Major Warburton
plants from the interior of South Australia and thus gradually a most valuable material
for scientific work is accumulating at this office.
8
Dr Herman Beckler.
9
Major Peter Egerton Warburton.
Many smaller contributions arrived for the gardens, of great value is the donation
of a case of Chinese plants from Alfr. Rusden Esqr. of Foo Chew Foo.
10
Fuzhou, China.
The menagerie received additions in some hawks presented by Dr Wehl of Mount Gambier,
2 Squirrels by Capt. Riches, also some Monkeys, black Swans and a few other small
animals. The good effect of the measure to unite the two wings of the aviary manifests
itself already, many of the singing birds seeking the retired spot below the bridge
for building.
Three fawns are born during the month. The Salmon-tank is now under progress of forming
and it is my intention to erect at it a small ornamental iron-windmill for securing
a constant current of water through it. By the same appliance I think I will be able
to keep the lagoon at an equal niveau, connecting pumpworks with a mill to convey
a constant streamlet of Yarra water into our lagoon.
Seeds have been collected as extensively in the Garden as possible, but it is to be
feared that in consequence of the continued drought our harvest will not be as rich
as last Year. Some seats have been made, the old ones as well as the gates been painted
and the labels, to which 50 new ones are added, have been varnished.
The effect of the dry winds this season is very severely felt by the plants of our
Garden and lets me more than ever wish for the speedy acquisition of the Yan Yean
water for irrigation.
11
See Lamb (1996).
As usual on many occasions cut flowers and bows have been supplied for public festivals.
A concert in aid of the lying-in Hospital took place at our Grounds and also the summer
show of the Horticultural Society.
12
The Lying-in Hospital for the Diseases of Women and Children was founded by Richard
Thomas Tracy and John Maund in 1856; see ADB under R. T. Tracy. The concert took place on the afternoon of 31 December 1859; when ‘more than 2,000 persons were present’, raising £117 16s at
the gate (Argus, 2 January 1860, p. 5). The Horticultural Society show was held on 10 December but
attracted some adverse criticism when it was anounced: ‘Paterfamilias’ wrote to the editor of the
Argus, condemning the charge of 1 shilling admission to the gardens as a whole on that
day, writing ‘the gardens are either the property of the public, or they are not;
if the former, the demand is both unjust and illegal—if the latter, the cost of their
maintenance had better be transferred from the public to the Horticultural Society’
(Argus, 8 December 1859, p. 7).
From the quarries in the reserve between the Gardens and Princes Bridge rubble has
been extensively conveyed for the formation of a new walk in the Northern Ground.
A small inlet close to the Yarra Yarra foot bridge has been made by us passable for
carts, so that now an approach of conveyances hence is possible along the Yarra from
Richmond. A new border has been raised on the Eastern side of the gardens and by levelling
the road alongside, that whole part of the ground is much more beautified. The other
work having been that of ordinary routine will scarcely require special allusion.
The number of the visitors on the four Sundays in the December has been 16,917 in
the southern ground and 7471 in the northern Ground.
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obedient & humble servant
Ferd. Mueller
The Honorable the Chief Secretary
& & &