Ferdinand von Mueller

Department of Lands & Survey,

Melbourne,

19th October, 1864

Sir,

Referring to your recent verbal enquiries at this office relative to the appropriation of the portion of land (comprising 2a. 2 r. 32p.

1

i.e. 2 acres 2 roods and 32 perches (= 2.7 acres or 1.09 hectares approximately).

) as shown on tracing herewith,

2

Tracing not found.

intervening between the prolongation of Swan Street, and a portion of the area formerly occupied for Zoological purposes, and subsequently added to the Botanical Gardens Reserve. I beg to inform you that the inclusion of the portion of land in question within the boundary of the former area, was formally approved by the Board of Land and Works on the 11th April 1860, and notified to you by my letter of the 19th of that month,

3

Letter not found.

and it was always subsequently considered, in this Department, as part of the Zoological reserve, by the addition thereto of the former Zoological Reserve, to have been merged therein.

The adoption of the line of Swan Street for the open fencing you propose, in lieu of the close fence formerly erected on the line shown on plan, with a view to the intended ornamentation of the triangular strip of ground before mentioned by plantations of trees, and shrubs, under your direction, cannot fail to prove of advantage to the public, and to greatly improve the area and the adjoining portion of the Yarra Park.

As I understand you are at once prepared to proceed with the fencing and improvement of this extension of the Botanical Reserve, it is hoped, that representation of this fact to the City Council, will induce that body to withdraw from contention as to the question of boundaries of the portion of the Botanical Gardens Reserve on the north bank of the Yarra.

4

See M to E. FitzGibbon, 6 October 1864, and M to E. FitzGibbon, 10 October 1864 (in this edition as 64-10-10c).

Dr Mueller,

&c &c &c

Melbourne