Document information

Physical location:

P67/732, unit 298, VPRS 3991/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 67.01.14

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Frederick Standish, 1867-01-14. 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/1860-9/1867/67-01-14-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

Melbourne botan. Garden
14/1/67
Dear Capt. Standish.
The old Police horse, which you most kindly granted to my department for use some years ago, is gradually wearing out, and as my departmental votes are so heavily taxed as to admit of no purchase of an other horse, I venture to ask, whether it would be possible to exchange the horse for an other, such as would not be capable of performing any longer the arduous services of the police. The horse we had through your kindness is exclusively used as Messenger horse, the errands being often so distant in the service, that for the sake of economising time I have to keep one animal for the messengers use in the establishment.
I remain, my dear Captain, your very regardful
Ferd. Mueller.
1
MS annotation: 'M 189 Referred to the Honble the Chief Secretary. The Director of the Botanical Gardens was supplied with an old Police Horse on a former occasion with the sanction of the Chief Secretary. If Mr McCuloch approves, I can supply Dr Mueller with one of our condemned horses who would no doubt answer the purpose for wh he is required. The horse formerly handed over to Dr Mueller by this Department has been turned out in the Police paddock at Dandenong; he is quite worn out. Fredk C Standish C C Police 16-1-67'.
The application was marked ' Appd J McC' [Approved, John McCulloch] and forwarded to Standish on 21 January. Standish replied: 'Noted and returned. A suitable horse has been supplied to Dr Mueller'.