Ferdinand von Mueller

1

William Williams. See also M to the Mayor of Melbourne, 7 May 1866, and M to E. FitzGibbon, 11 May 1866.

Melbourne bot. Garden

15/5/66.

Sir

I have the honor to solicit, that you will pleased to bring under the favorable consideration of the public works committee of the city-council, that it will be very desirable to raise that part of Andersons Street close to the Yarra, it being quite-below the levels of the botanic Garden. For raising this portion of the road now a most favorable opportunity presents itself by the dryness of the past season, which renders it possible to remove the necessary soil for raising the bottom of the road from the bed of the Lake of the botanic Garden. Moreover the Government contemplate to raise an embankment on the depressed ground at Andersons Street, to render the new garden bridge accessible even at the highest flood. If this embankment was widened by the aid of the City Council, the whole road would so far be finished. I beg also to point out, that the bridge will afford great facility for the general public to pass at all hours night & day from Emerald Hill, Prahran & South Yarra to Richmond East Melbourne & Collingwood. The Government will have expended several thousand pounds on this bridge when the approaches are completed & in asking thus a small aid from the corporation I feel justified doing so in the public interest I have consulted with the City Surveyor,

2

The City Surveyor had argued for the proposed modification in his letter of 11 May 1866 to the Mayor (No. 1566, unit 732, VPRS 3181, Public Record Office, Victoria): see notes to M to E. FitzGibbon, 11 May 1866.

who considers the proposed work as very desirable. For the filling up of the depression of the street the sum of about £300 will be required if the soil is raised at about 15d pr cubic yard, but the City Council will kindly bear in mind, that the soil can only be procured if immediate action is taken; for continued rain showers of severity will render the bed of the garden lake (now dry) inaccessible.

The Chairman of the public works Committee.

3

M's letter was read at a meeting of the Melbourne City Council's Public Works Committee on 15 May 1866: ''Town Clerk instructed to reply that the Council have no funds at their disposal at present for the purpose' (Unit 6, p. 76, VPRS 4037, Public Record Office, Victoria).