Document information
Physical location:
No. 527, unit 734, VPRS 3181/P Town Clerk's file series 1, VA 511 Melbourne, Public Record Office, Victoria. 71.04.06Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Edmund FitzGibbon, 1871-04-06. 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/1870-9/1871/71-04-06-final.odt>, accessed June 19, 2026
1
MS file annotation: 'Ansd'. Letter not found.
Allow me, dear Mr Fitzgibbon, to draw your kind attention to the defective state of
the fences from the Barracks to Prince's Bridge. The cattle from the flat come across
the road and whenever by any negligence a gate is left open in my reserve, I have
a horde of invading quadrupeds amusing themselves among my trees and requiring the
united efforts of many nimble persons to drive them out of their elysium.
As I am so reduced in funds of the Department, and can ill spare any one away from
his work, I hope you will have pity on me.
your regardful
Ferd. von Mueller
I will send my contribution to you soon for the French fund.
2
During the Franco-Prussian War
,
funds for the relief of wounded soldiers
,
widows, orphans
and
distressed civilians of both sides were opened in Victoria.
It is not known what role FitzGibbon played, no
r
to
which of the funds that existed
M is referring. At a meeting convened by W
.
A
.
Brahe, Consul in Melbourne for the North German Federation, M was elected to a
c
ommittee for 'raising a fund to assist the soldiers wounded in the
p
resent war with France, and the widows and or
p
hans of th
o
se who may be killed' (
Age
(Melbourne)
,
5 September
1871,
p. 3)
. M was not alone in supporting funds for relief of
both
French and German
victims
;
see, for example, the account of a German present at the meeting of the 'French residents
in Melbourne' held on 30 September 1870 (
Age
(Melbourne), 1 October 1870, p. 2)
.