Ferdinand von Mueller

Melbourne botanic Garden,

8 Aug. 1871

Sir

I reply to your communication of yesterday

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Letter not found: 'your communication of yesterday' underlined in pencil with marginal annotation by W. Odgers, Undersecretary: 'Not thro' this office'.

I have the honor to inform you that under my advise a portion of the driftsand at Queenscliff

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Vic.

has been subdued by the operations of the Municipal Council of that place, where the sand-waves commenced to invade the township. In compliance with your request I shall not fail to supply such seeds for the sand area, to be cultivated at Port Phillip or near Hobson's Bay,

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Vic.

as at this season are available in the seeds magazine of the botanic Garden. In a lecture recently delivered at the Industrial Museum

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B71.13.11, pp. 22-4. Lecture delivered 22 June 1871.

I have briefly described the plan, to be best adopted for arresting the movements of seas and in our climate. I am fully acquainted from personal observation with the process of fixing the sands on the Scandinavian coasts, but the Danish and Swedish Government have a regular Department for this work and spend annually large sums on it. As the locality, which you desire to have planted yet this season, is near to Melbourne I should be able to superintend the process of fencing planting and sowing myself without hindrance of my ordinary duties, and I beg therefore to submit for your consideration the desirability of placing the necessary labor from the Parks at my disposal, if the sand-ground is within the area of the crownlands parks. Should the ground be within the municipal jurisdiction, I might perhaps be placed in direct Communication with the respective municipality. I may add, that some small expense in material for fences and wickerwork will unavoidably have to be incurred, and it is incumbent also on me to point out, that the best time of the year for this kind of work is in the latter part of April and the beginning of May. But still a commencement may even be made now, altho' the coming hot weather will be unfavorable to operations of this kind.

In conclusion I beg to say, that in the course of years various coast authorities have obtained from me not only professional advise but also seeds & plants for fixing the sands on various spots of the Victorian shores and to grow pines thereon, as also other utilitarian plants.

I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant

The honorable Ch Gav. Duffy &c &c &c

Chief Secretary.