Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botanic Garden,

18. July 63

Sir

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a memorial, transmitted to you by certain residents of South Yarra, Prahran &c, praying for the maintainance of a certain track customary followed by pedestrians through the reserve of the botanic Garden and thence to the City-bridge.

1

See Residents of South Yarra, Toorak and Prahran to J. McCulloch, 13 July 1863 (in this edition as M63-07-13).

In compliance with your request I have the honor to submit the reasons, which induced me to obliterate the path referred to. When the honorable the Board of Land and Works authorized me to effect such improvements in the reserve between the botanic Garden and City bridge as I deemed desirable and as are within the very slender means at my command for the purpose, I resolved to limit the many lines of paths across the reserve to such as are needful and as at the same time with a view of beautifying the landscape could be lined with trees. I accordingly formed a drive (well available for walkers also) from the City bridge to the special upper Garden fences; I furthermore formed a walk (to be planted next season with trees grown already for the purpose) nearer the St. Kilda road, by both of which lines I thought ample facilities would be given to the residents of South Yarra and Prahran to pass on a near and agreable line to their domestic homes, whether these are lying in a more western or eastern position. Nevertheless I must admit, that by the enclosing of a reserve around the Observatory I was compelled to adapt a certain short curved deviation from the intended direct line of one of the walks, in order to skirt the Observatory area. From the petition now submitted to me for report it would appear, that the Gentlemen, who memorialized your Honor, are not satisfied with the provision which I have left for the traffic by the two now established permanent lines, but desire to retain in use also the interjacent path. Altho' I regard the difference between the lines of these walks as regards their length extremly inconsiderable and cannot apprehend the least difficulties in passing any of them, as feared by one of the petitioners, after heavy rains, and altho' I shall always regret seeing these beautiful reserves dissected by innecessary paths, I should in deference to the wishes of the petitioners feel justified in proposing the adoption of an intermediate path slightly above the one in question and thus verging closer to the Observatory grounds, if your Honors wishes on the subject could by such a measure [be]

2

editorial addition.

served. But as regards the opinion of the memoralists, that such a path should be planted like the rest, it is but right to give it as my opinion, that in consequence if the close proximity of the intended walk (even if my alteration of the same was effected) an other double line of trees along it would not form a favorable feature in the landscape, a point that regards careful consideration when we reflect how accessible the locality is to views from many parts of the city. It is moreover the intention to transform the whole reserve into a park, where recreation may be sought by those, who find the distance of the botanic garden to great from the city and for this purpose several thousand pines have been planted already.

3

On 28 July 1863, McCulloch minuted an instruction that the memorialists be informed of M's reasons. On 8 August, T. Lightfoot, who had presented the Memorial to McCulloch on behalf of the signatories, wrote again 'to respectfully solicit an answer, as several of the memorialists have called on me during the past week for one'. He must have received on the same day the letter that McCulloch had instructed be sent, because later that day he wrote again, forwarding a letter from another of the signatories, John Perry, protesting the decision that had apparently been made (see J. Perry to J. McCulloch, 8 August 1863 (in this edition as M63-08-08)). In the covering letter that he sent with this, Lightfoot noted his own observation 'that the substituted footway round the back of the Observatory being through a swamp was almost impassable after the late rain', and commented that 'I am sure if Dr Mueller would meet one or two of the memorialists a foot-road might be laid out that would be as satisfactory to him as to the Gentlemen who signed the Memorial'.

On 13 August, McCulloch minuted: 'I approve of the suggestion of Mt Lightfoot, that Dr Mueller should meet a deputation from the memorialists — if they could meet on the ground an arrangement might be readily arrived at'. On the same day, the Under Secretary, J. Moore, minuted: 'Dr. Mueller will be so good as to comply with the wishes of the Chief Secretary'.

See also M to J. Moore, 4 September 1863.

I may be permitted to suggest, as only a clear opinion of the requirements of the pedestrians and of the desirability how to establish the permanent walkes can be formed on the spot, that an officer of the Department of Lands may be requested to visit the locality and furnish his professional and disinterested opinion on the subject

The honorable the Chief Secretary

&c & &