Ferdinand von Mueller

1

For a copy of this letter see A345 Royal Park Zoological Society letter and minute book, pp. 161-2, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

Acclimatisation Society's Office,

30 SWANSTON STREET,

2

Letterhead of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria.

Melbourne, September 21st 1869.

To the Trustees of the Royal Park Melbourne

Gentlemen,

In obedience with your request that I should furnish you at once with some explanations on the subject of my alledged interference with Public sports in the the Royal-Park, I beg to inform you that ever since I took charge of the Park, I have made it my particular study to give the Public as much latitude as compatible with the regulations of this Reserve. Visitors & picnics parties have always found me anxious to do all in my power to oblige them, but nevertheless there are some limits to the liberty of action to be granted to Cricket & Football clubs, and only when I have found them interfering with other visitors, & then only have I thought it my duty to stop them.

It is difficult for me to gather from Mr FitzGibbon's letter which is submitted to me

3

Letter not found; but see M to E. FitzGibbon, 24 September 1869. On 16 September 1869, Lissignol wrote to FitzGibbon: 'Your letter of the 6th inst enclosing a copy of your letter addressed to the Trustees of the Royal Park reached me only on my return from Tasmania, & in answer I beg to state that I have at once called upon Dr Fd von Mueller the Hony Secretary to the Trustees asking him to call together a meeting of the said Trustees for the purpose of considering the subject of your letter of the 6th inst. I shall do myself the honor of informing you of the decision of the Trustees immediately after the meeting' (Unit 731, VPRS 3181, Public Record Office, Victoria).

to what particular case he alludes, but I remember a few weeks ago requesting some young men who were playing football in close vicinity to the carriage drive to go and play on the other side of the Hill, where ground is set apart for that purpose, pointing out at the same time the many accidents which might occur to another class of visitors through their balls frightening horses, but all I could obtain from them were impertinent & abusive answers, and to get them to comply with my request, I was obliged to threaten their very abusive spokesman with bringing him to the lock-up if he refused to give me his address as requested.

As you are aware there is on the Hill, near the stables a large area reserved for football & other sports, but if the people playing will come on the carriage drive, I am obliged to stop them to avoid accidents. Unfortunately people will always think themselves molested if not allowed to do exactly as they please.

The report of the meeting of the city council in the "Argus" of the 31st ulto

4

In its account of the Melbourne City Council meeting of 30 August 1867, the Argus (31 August 1867, p. 1 S) reported Councillor Oldfield as stating that 'on Saturday week' Mr Lissingol had ordered one of the young gentlemen playing football to leave the ground, otherwise he would have handcuffs put on him, which was 'very insulting'. The Argus report continued: 'Mr Lissingol was not very particular as to whom he insulted, for not long since he had him (Councillor Oldfield) under his finger—(laughter)—because he happened to be exercising a horse on private land which was not part of the park. If he insulted persons who were on private land, it was not surprising that he should have insulted the football club.'

was also pointed out to me, in which Mr Councillor Oldfield complains of having [been]

5

Word is missing from original letter but inserted in transcription in minutes.

prevented by me from exercising his horse in the Royal Park. Not having the honor of that distinguished gentleman's acquaintance I cannot state when this occured, but as a Councillor, he ought to know that there is nothing astonishing in an officer enforcing rules & regulations in a public place. I received positive instructions from the Commissioner of Crown's Land to enforce the Regulations of the Park over the whole of its area until such time as the fence was removed and the portion of the Park intended to be sold fenced out. I have therefore only acted according to my instructions, and shall continue so to do until such time as told to consider the regulations now in existence as null & void, & fresh ones given to me to act upon.