Ferdinand von Mueller

Letter not found.

The only additional trustee appointed between January 1864 when Robert Smyth was added ( Victoria government gazette , 29 January 1874) and 1874 when William Henry Archer was appointed ( Victoria g overnment gazette , 7 August, 1873, p. 1464) was Edward Wilson in July 18 6 4 (see below) .

In J une 1864 the Council of the Acclimatisati o n Society sent a deputation to meet the Acting Minister of L ands (James Grant) to protest about the principle of the Government appointing A dditional Trustees , citing the appointment of Robert Smyth in January , as 'if the Board of Land and Works could elect additional trustees whenever it chose, the ultimate effect might be that the majority of the trustees would consist of gentlemen who were inimical to the interests of the society. The council felt it their duty to protect the property and interests of the society from any such possible contingency'. They asked that the Government appoint Edward Wilson, their president, as an additional Trustee and undertake not to appoint additional trustees. Grant was happy to add Wilson, who was appointed in July (Victoria g overnment g azette, 15 July 1864, p. 1525) but would not give a guarantee not to appoint more additional trustees. He pointed out that it 'is the duty of the trustees to frame rules and regulations for the management of the park, which they had not yet done. Those rules—which would be subject to the approval of the Board of Land and Works—might be framed so as to protect the interests both of the Acclimatisation Society and the public at large and if the trustees would prepare them, he thought that the object which the deputation had in view would be secured'. (Argus, 22 June 1864, p. 6).

See also M to R. Heales, 22 March 1864 (in this edition as 64-03-22c).