Ferdinand von Mueller

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MS not in M's hand, possibly in Carl Wilhelmi's, probably sent to the Council via the Town Clerk, Edmund FitzGibbon, as a consolidated aide mémoire. MS is filed among papers dating from mid-1867 and is here dated to June on the basis of an undated register entry, 'memo relative to Yarra Park south', that almost certainly refers to it and that is located between others dated to June 1867.

Memorandum of Dr Muellers wishes and suggestions to the Health Committee of the Corporation of Melbourne.

That cattle and goats should be excluded from that portion of Yarra Park lying south of the Melbourne Railway. That the fencing along the river bank should be sold or given to some tradesman as an equivalent for rendering the fence extending along the Punt Road from the river to the Melbourne Railway Goat proof either by means of wires or pickets &c

That in view of the approaching visit of Prince Alfred, Dr Mueller is particularly anxious

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to omitted?

plant and ornament the new approach to the Botanic Gardens Bridge that the plants necessary for this purpose have been specially reserved by Dr Mueller, but that the planting will be quite useless until cattle are excluded from Yarra Park.

Dr Mueller would be glad if the Health Committee could at once grant to him the authorization to shoot all the Goats which may be trespassing in the portion of Yarra Park before mentioned, he would also beg to call the attention of the Health Committee to the fact that the existing native trees in the Park are much infected with Miseltoe and that some steps should be taken to remove this parasite as otherwise it will in conjunction with the continued trampling of cattle round the roots of the trees cause the death of the many fine specimens of Eucalyptus growing in the Park. Dr Mueller would further urge upon the attention of the Committee the fact that improvements already made and many further ones which he has in contemplation are frustrated by the presence of cattle in Yarra Park (south) as these animals are continually swimming (especially at night) round the fence of the old Zoological Reserve and destroying the shrubs and trees there planted.

Dr Mueller would further beg to urge upon the Committee the dirty state of the Cottage opposite Branders ferry, occupied by an employee of the Melbourne Corporation. This cottage appears from the opposite side of the river to be a great blot upon the landscape in the direction of Melbourne.

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E. FitzGibbon to M, 27 June 1867 reported that the cottage would be painted.

Dr Mueller would urge upon the Committee that this cottage should be fenced round and shrubs planted though the fencing may be dispensed with in the event of cattle being removed from the Park. The shrubs necessary for this purpose Dr Mueller will be happy to place at the disposal of the Health Committee.

Dr Mueller would also beg of the Health Committee that they would order the persons living in the Cottage before named to dry their clothes away from the house as Dr Mueller has been frequently annoyed at the sight of linen hanging in Yarra Park and as Dr Mueller does not permit any of the employees of the Botanic Garden to hang out or dry linen on the premises he thinks that his request in this matter is not unreasonable. This matter and the former ones connected with the cottage Dr Mueller is particularly anxious about, they were forcibly brought under notice very lately while the Governors of New South Wales and Victoria were with Dr Mueller inspecting the pine plantations formed on the southern side of the Yarra, and Dr Mueller thinks that for the credit of the City of Melbourne they should be remedied before the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh.

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Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, visited Melbourne in November 1867.

Dr Mueller is also very anxious to improve and beautify the footpath leading from the new Botanic Gardens Bridge to the Melbourne Railway but as his resources are very limited and the area over which they have to be spread is large he would respectfully ask of the Health Committee to grant him some small pecuniary assistance similar to that which has on two former occasions been readily granted for the purpose thus named. The necessary superintendence and other supplementary assistance Dr Mueller will willingly himself provide.

Dr Mueller gratefully acknowledges the kindness of Health Committee in granting a subsidy for the purpose of forming a footpath across the Swamp and leading from the old Water Works to Branders Ferry and would respectfully urge upon the Committee the importance of the speedy execution of this most necessary work.

Dr Mueller would urge upon the Committee that permission should be given to him to remove the old three Rail Fence at Princes Bridge which runs through the centre of the swamp on the southern side of the river about 100 feet or so from the St Kilda road on the Botanic Gardens side, and that the roadway leading down to this swamp from the St Kilda Road and also the dry arches of Princes Bridge might be fenced across so as to enable the bank of St Kilda Road and the swamp before named to be planted with Willows and Poplars or other suitable trees. Dr Mueller would urge upon the Committee the fact that this swamp is now no longer required as a watering place for cattle, as the supplies of Yan Yean are everywhere available and abundant, that the cattle are continually obtaining an entrance to the Govt House Reserve through this source, that negotiations are now in progress between Dr Mueller and the Committee of the Immigrants Home for the removal of the cattle belonging to the Home, and that it is very desirable that the present planting season should not be lost. The planting would lessen the effect of floods upon the St Kilda Roadway would beautify the landscape of the City and Dr Mueller having specially reserved a number of fine plants for such purposes confidently hopes to obtain the co-operation of the Health Committee in this matter.

The culvert lately put in by the officers of the Corporation along the St Kilda road and leading out from the Govt House Reserve has been left in a very unsatisfactory condition inside of the Reserve and Dr Mueller cannot but regard the reply of the City Surveyor

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Not found.

as very unsatisfactory and as entailing if carried out by Dr Mueller an expense which his department is unable to bear. Dr Mueller begs that this matter may be reconsidered.

Dr Mueller would beg to request that more stringent measures may be adopted to prevent the continued trespassing of cattle on the St Kilda Road, the fence of the Govt House Reserve being at this place very bad and the votes of Parliament for fencing &c in the Botanic Gardens not yet being passed, the cattle from the Road are continually entering the Reserve and doing a great deal of damage to the many valuable plants there planted. Dr Mueller has frequently been obliged to put cattle out with his own hands while the only gardener who can be spared to attend to this Reserve has to sit up during most of the night as well as being actively employed during the day.

In all the suggestions and memoranda thus presented for the favourable consideration of the Health Committee of the Corporation of Melbourne Dr Mueller would urge firmly but respectfully that the hearty support of the Committee should be accorded to these his disinterested exertions for the good of the public, as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and a scientific person of known ability his time is very valuable to the cause of science and he thinks that when he is thus willing to devote much of it to the carrying out of public objects of great utility that he may rely on the intelligent co-operation of the Health Committee of the Corporation of Melbourne, and that he should not receive a message as he did lately from Mr Felstead the Park Ranger to the effect "That he Dr Mueller has not any jurisdiction outside of the Zoological fence"