The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botanic Garden, ¶ 16/9/64. ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a code of regulations considered by the trustees of the Royal Park as appropriate for the management of th...

Document information

Physical location:

I64/8448, unit 18, VPRS 242 crown reserves correspondence files, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria. 64.09.16

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James Grant, 1864-09-16. 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/1860-9/1864/64-09-16-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter written by M, regulations written by E. Heyne. For a copy of this letter see: A345 Royal Park Trustees letter and minute book, p. 13, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

Melbourne botanic Garden,

16/9/64.

Sir

I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a code of regulations considered by the trustees of the Royal Park as appropriate for the management of that reserve. The trustees at a meeting held this day have directed me to transmit this document for your consideration.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller,

Hon. secret. to the trustees of the Royal Park.

The honorable the President of the Board of Lands & Works.

Draft

Regulations for the Management of the Zoological Reserve, Royal Park

First The portion of the Zoological Reserve enclosed by the Council of the Acclimation

zation below on deleted in a different hand.

Society and containing sixty (60) acres (more or less) of Land, shall remain under the exclusive and permanent

and permanent deleted after submission to Government (see n. 5).

control of that Council, subject to the following conditions, viz.

1) That the ground be not used for any purposes unconnected with Acclimation

zation below on deleted in a different hand.

or Zoological purposes

2) That the public (with exception of young children unaccompanied by adult protectors, and of persons followed by dogs) be allowed admission during a period of not less than six (6) hours in every day to those parts of the ground which can be visited without detriment to the breeding of imported animals and the rearing of their progeny.

Second. The Trustees of the Zoological Reserve may allow the Council of the Acclimatisation Society to occupy for the depasturing of imported animals and their progeny such portions of the Zoological Reserve, as may from time to time be required for such a purpose, outside the ground specified in the preceding regulation.

Third. The Council of the Acclimatization Society will be required to maintain in good repair the boundary fence of the Zoological Reserve, and to defray the cost of repairs and renewals of that fence out of the funds placed at their disposal.

Fourth The grass on the portion of the Zoological Reserve not occupied by imported animals and their progeny may be sold and the proceeds of such sale expended on the improvement of such portion of the Reserve.

Fifth The portion of the Zoological Reserve not specially enclosed by the Council of the Acclimatization Society and used for the depasturing of imported animals and their progeny shall be open to the public from sunrise to sunset, subject to the condition, that the persons admitted to the Reserve shall be unaccompanied by dogs and that if in vehicles or on horseback, the Roadways be not departed from.

On 17 September 1864 the Assistant Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey, C. Hodgkinson, submitted M's letter to the Board of Land and Works 'for approval'. On 17 October the Board approved the regulations 'omitting in the first, the words — " and permanent "'. On 18 October Hodgkinson referred this ruling to M 'with the request that he will have the goodness to communicate to the Trustees of the Royal Park the decision of the Board of Land and Works'. M replied on 21 October: 'Submitted to a meeting of the trustees on the 21/10/64'. On 22 October Hodgkinson added: 'The Royal Park was permanently vested in the trustees for Zoological purposes subject to the condition that the regulations framed by the trustees be submitted for approval of the Board of Land & Works. This approval having been obtained Mr Lascelles is requested to cause the regulations to be published in the Govt Gazette'. The regulations published in the Victoria Government gazette on 28 October 1864 made no provision for the enforcement of the regulations concerning visitor behaviour.