Document information
Physical location:
S69/10697, unit 750, VPRS 44/P inward registered and unregistered correspondence, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria. 69.06.03Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to James Grant, 1869-06-03. 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/1860-9/1869/69-06-03-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
Melbourne bot. Garden,
3/6/69
Sir
It having been finally decided by yourself, that the northern ground of the botanic
Garden should be alienated from this establishment and be transferred to the trust
and expenditure of charitable Societies, I have the honor now to draw your attention
to the circumstance, that no longer any necessity exists of maintaining Ranger Smith
there on wages paid by this department.
1
The request to remove Smith from the Botanic Garden was previously made in M to J. Grant, 12 February 1869.
May I therefore request your favorable consideration to the proposition, that his
appointment in connection with the botanic Garden be cancelled, more especially as
I am anxious to avail myself of the wages thus to be saved for obtaining other labor
for this garden, where indeed the means at my command are utterly inadequate for the
requirements and work of the season.
2
M's request was not acceded to. M described Smith as 'the man I can best of all dispense
with' in M to J. McCulloch, 23 April 1870 (in this edition as 70-04-23c) and included him as discharged in the list of employees (M. to J. McCulloch, 7 May 1870 (in this edition as 70-05-07b)). Smith appealed (W. Smith to J. McCulloch, 9 May 1870 (in this edition as M70-05-09))
and was reinstated (W. Odgers to M, 26 May 1870 (in this edition as 70-05-26a)).
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your very obedient
Ferd. von Mueller
The honorable the President of the Board of Land & Works