Document information
Physical location:
No. 15/1/68, unit 13, pp. 619-21, VPRS 4025/P Town Clerk's letter press copy books, VA 511 Melbourne City Council, Public Record Office, Victoria. 68.01.11Preferred Citation:
Edmund FitzGibbon to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1868-01-11. 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/1860-9/1868/68-01-11-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026
Town Clerk's Office
Town Hall Melbourne
11th January 1868.
My dear Dr Mueller
I have only just returned to business and therefore have not been able sooner to answer
your letter of the 11th ultimo with reference to the tree guards, to the planting
of trees in the Yarra Park and to the unsightliness of the house which was the old
police station near the river bank.
1
No letter from M to FitzGibbon dated 11 December 1867 has been found, but M had raised the same issues in M to E. FitzGibbon, 30 November 1867. M to J. Butters, 28 November 1867, mentions the tree guards in the context of the
nuisance caused by grazing cattle. The issues had exercised M for some time. He complained
about the grazing cattle as early as M to E. FitzGibbon, 7 January 1867, with the cottage brought into the discussion in M to A. K. Smith, 2 April 1867; an undated memorandum to the Melbourne City Council Health Committee, written after
May 1867 ( in this edition as 67-00-00) refers to both these points in the context
of the planned visit of Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, which took place at the
end of November 1867. It is not clear which of these letters, or others not found,
were placed before the Health Committee at its meeting on 8 January 1868: 'Letter
read from Doctor Mueller relative to the unsightly appearance of the patched Verandah
to the House on the Bank of the River in Yarra Park. Town Clerk instructed to Reply
that money has been voted for the repair of the Verandah by the City Council and that
the work shall be done. Letter from Doctor Mueller offering to supply tree guards
and plants for Yarra Park if the Committee would find the labor of planting the trees.
The Park Ranger directed the attention of the Committee to the fact that the trees
planted by Doctor Mueller in the Yarra Park some years ago are still stunted and small
in consequence of the defective manner in which the work has been done. Town Clerk
instructed to inform Doctor Mueller that the Committee would prefer doing the work
themselves if he would hand them over the tree Guards.' (Unit 1, VPRS 4039 special
committees, VA511 Melbourne City Council, Public Record Office, Victoria).
I have spoken to the Health Committee of the City Council on all these subjects and
the Committee wish me to say that they will be greatly obliged for the guards and
when informed through me when and where they may send for them they will have them
carted across and placed in the Yarra Park.
With respect to the planting I am to thank you for your kind offer to undertake the
performance of the work and also to furnish a supply of young trees, for these the
Committee will thank you much and will instruct Mr Hyndman to make early application.
They think however that the staff of men in their own employment at the present time
should be sufficient to get the mechanical work of planting done without in any way
[encroaching] upon your valuable and much occupied time.
2
See M to W. Hyndman, 31 January 1868.
In respect to the house I am to inform you that a small sum has been voted for its
further renovation and that the City Surveyor is instructed to have the improvements
effected as rapidly as possible.
Believe me my dear Dr Mueller
Yours very faithfully
E. G. FitzGibbon
Town Clerk
Dr F. Mueller Esq. F.R.S.
&c&c&c