Document information

Physical location:

W70/6492, unit 466, VPRS 3991/P inward registered correspondence, VA 475 Chief Secretary's Department, Public Record Office, Victoria. 70.06.13b

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to James McCulloch, 1870-06-13 [70.06.13b]. 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/1870-9/1870/70-06-13b-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Melbourne bot. Garden
13 June 1870.
Sir
I have the honor of submitting to you, as promised in my letter of the 11 June, a brief set of regulations, which in my opinion would properly and fairly define the duties of the Inspector of forests
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William Ferguson.
in his capacity as Horticultural Assistant of the botanic Garden.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller
Director. botan. Garden
The honorable the Chief Secretary
Rules for the guidance of the Inspector of Forests in his capacity of Horticultural Assistant of the Botanic Garden.
1, To submit weekly a written statement to the Director, as a record of the work performed, also suggestions on the proposed work for the next week for the Director's approval or otherwise, and to receive simultaneously orders for any particular work, which the Director requires to have done during the week.
2, To effect direct superintendence over the work in the open garden, the conservatories and the reserves, but all orders for the office ground, the nurseries, the seed-magazine and experimental ground to come direct from the Director.
3, Not to leave the garden or reserves during work hours without express permission of the Director.
4, To receive no private visitors during work hours and to direct anyone on official business or any reporter to the office.
5, To carry out at once any sudden order from the Director, which the unexpected exigencies of the public service may demand.
6, To refer any correspondence addressed to him on departmental business to the Director.
7, All contract works to be under the immediate surveillance of the Director.
8, To abstain from distributing plants or seeds to any public institutions or any private individuals except with the special sanction of the Director, and to obtain for any proposed interchanges the Director's approval.
9, Orders for felling trees to be approved of by the Director, and no firewood to be supplied to any cottages in or out of the gardens or reserves without the Directors cognizance.
10 To increase or decrease no wages of any employee without the permission of the Director, nor to engage anyone for extra hours unless a corresponding reduction be made in the work hours afterwards.
11, To remove no gardener, who for a series of years has become acquainted in special parts of the grounds to any other division of the garden for many days in succession without the approval of the Director.
12, The carter, if suddenly required to fetch imported plants, stores etc or to cart away consignments for shipment etc, to obey at once the direct orders of the Director.
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On 23 July 1870, McCulloch minuted: 'I disapprove of the regulations submitted by Dr Mueller — and append those which will I think prove more satisfactory — I trust there will be no further correspondence on this matter. If the officers determined on laying aside personal feelings and set themselves to work for the good of the gardens as a public Institution there can be no difficulties in the way of a satisfactory adjustment of the disputes between Dr Mueller and Mr Ferguson — that if this is not done I will address prompt measures with both of the officers if necessary so that the public interest may not suffer by personal squabbles'.
McCulloch's draft regulations, dated 28 July 1870, were: 'The Director of the Botanical Garden to confine his duties to the Scientific and Botanical department — The Assistant of the Botanical Gardens to be left in entire charge of the landscape and practical part of the works in the Gardens — he will also afford the Director any assistance that may be required by him in connection with his special duties — All expenditure connected with the Gardens to be approved of by Dr Mueller'. An appended note says 'for the present 11/8'.