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93.01.27Preferred Citation:
John Brooke to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1893-01-27. 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/1890-6/1893/93-01-27-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026
1
Letter not found. For the text given here, see Australasian, 6 May 1893, p. 836. The letter is introduced by the following remarks: ‘Many of
the citizens of Melbourne at the present day do not know and perhaps have not heard
of John Henry Brooke (Hansard not being a state school book). He was a prominent member of the Legislative Assembly
nearly 40 years ago. He invented the “occupation licenses” in conjunction with Mr.
J. M. Grant, and brought them into operation when Minister of Lands in the Heales
Ministry of 1860-1. What may now be considered one of his most useful acts of administration
was his “permanently reserving” the Royal-park. The fact was lately commemorated by
the park trustees by resolution, which was forwarded to Mr. Brooke, who has for many
years lived in Japan. His reply, sent to us through Dr. Black, of St. Kilda, is as
follows:—‘.
My Dear Baron von Mueller,
It was with much pleasure, mingled with unexpectedness, that I received your official
letter conveying to me the resolution unanimously passed by the trustees of the Royal-park,
on the proposition of Dr. Black,
that an act of mine, whilst Minister of Lands, in permanently reserving the Royal-park
for recreation purposes, continues to fulfil the objects I had in view, and that the
public derive that large measure of enjoyment which affords the amplest justification
of my official act.
2
Thomas Black.
In addition to the benefit to health which a public park ensures to those "in cities
pent," the part appropriated to the Zoological-gardens is calculated to amuse and
instruct the rising generation by instilling most agreeably some knowledge of the
animal kingdom.
Though my lot for the last quarter of a century has been to live far away from you
all in another and an alien land, I have never abated the deep interest I always entertained
for the colony of Victoria, however ungrateful it was to me, nor have I forgotten
how loath I was to leave it and the hosts of kind friends I had there: but now, alas!
so many of them have been removed by death, and we therefore shall meet no more.
The exceptional and grateful thoughtfulness, especially of my esteemed friend Dr.
Black, also of yourself and the park trustees, in passing so complimentary a resolution
as that conveyed in your letter to me — in fact, of your thinking of me at all, after
30 years have passed away since I quitted office — is to be regarded as being quite
exceptional and entirely unexpected. Pray convey to them my hearty acknowledgment
of their most friendly consideration, and I hope that the time may never come for
the Royal-ark to be alienated from the beneficial purposes for which it was reserved,
for the use and pleasure of the present and future generations.
I am, my dear Baron,
Yours faithfully,
J. H. Brooke.
Baron Ferd. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., &c.,
Melbourne.