Document information

Physical location:

G72/7643, unit 750, VPRS 44 inwards registered and unregistered correspondence, VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey, Public Record Office, Victoria. 72.03.11

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Charles Gavan Duffy, 1872-03-11. 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/1870-9/1872/72-03-11-final.odt>, accessed May 10, 2026

1
Letter registered in the Chief Secretary's Department in March 1872 (A72/2606) and transferred to the Lands Department on 22 April. See W. Odgers to M, 25 April 1872. M to J. Grant, 9 April 1872, is a copy of this letter incorporating some changes. Grant was again President of the Board of Land and Works, the Minister responsible for the Botanic Garden.
Melbourne botanic Garden,
11/3/72.
Sir
In compliance with your instructions I have the honor of submitting to you an estimate of the expenditure, which I would recommend for the service of the botanic Garden during the financial year from 1 July 1872 till 30 June 1873.
Government's Botanist and Director
£610
Clerk
2
and Accountant deleted .
(with quarters)
£160
Head Gardener (with quarters)
3
M added a marginal note at this point: 'This item is provided for a foreman, as the Forest Inspector [i.e. William Ferguson] is likely to be engaged in his Forest duties continually hereafter. In order that an educated gentleman, such as the Clerk, may not be placed under a Gardener, I have this time provided for him specially, whereas formerly he was paid out of the general vote.'
£150
Wages of Gardeners, one Laboratory Attendant, one Museum Operator, one Signwriter, one Artisan, one bot. Collector, one Carter, one Engine Driver, one Messenger, and several labourers
£2370
Expense of publishing works on Austral. plants £100 and purchase of Museum materials, plants and seeds
£130
4
£130 above £230 deleted.
Stores, Timber, Stationery, Flowerpots, Bricks, Water pipes, Drainpipes, Paint, Tools, Glass &c Coals for engine &c
£220
Forage for one carthorse and food for birds and other animals
£80
Incidental, Transit and Travelling Expenses
£140
Reward to Orphanboys to be placed into the Savings Bank (35/ a week)
£91
Cartage of Streetmanure
£40
Test plantation in the Ranges
£120
Books and Instruments
£80
Total
£4091
5
The amounts listed total £4191.
Remarks
The Directors Position is heavily taxed by many expenses in relation to foreign interchanges, scientific communications abroad, calls of visitors, for which the votes make no provision. The Director lives merely in an office ever since 1857, not even a single private room being provided. A small item is now provided for books and instruments, even that expenditure having fallen largely on his private means formerly, so office light, personal travelling expenses, much of outlay for conveyance to proceed to town offices. The Director has no allowance for a servant, nor for a horse, nor forage &c.
In accordance with a recent recommendation of the Director special provision has been made for the salary of a headgardener, but in order that the latter may not be placed over the Clerk and Accountant, who was formerly paid out of the general Wages vote, it is recommended that the Clerks Salary should in future like that of a headgardner appear separately on the estimates. These two items are saved out of the wages vote. No vacancy or position for a Clerk and Accountant is created, as the Gentleman, who holds this position since several years,
6
Georg Luehmann.
has discharged his functions to my full satisfaction.
The item for publishing of plants includes a grant to the President of the Linnéan Society
7
George Bentham.
for 30 copies of the work published by him and Baron von Mueller in England.
8
Bentham (1863-78).
The item for incidental expenses includes outlays for small repairs.
The new item of gratuity to the boys of the industr. Schools is to reward them in succession and rotation for good conduct, and particularly for securing the safe going to and from the barracks, without further loss of time of the gardeners to watch over the arrival and departure of the various sets of boys over the extensive ground.
The obtaining of street scrapings for manuring through the only cart and horse of the Department is an impossibility; hence the small new item.
As a trial for teagrowth and other industrial cultures in the first instance at Fernshaw
9
Vic.
the sum for one test plantation is provided. It is kept as small as ever possible.
I have the honor to be,
Sir, your obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller,
Gov. Botanist and Director of the botanic Garden.
The honorable the Chief Secretary.
No provision is made for the Inspector of forests on my estimates, as I understand that the services of this Officer are to be devoted entirely to Forest Work under the Lands Department.