Document information

Physical location:

A345, Royal Park Zoological Society letter and minute book, pp. 220-2, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. M76.08.08

Preferred Citation:

William Henry Archer to Albert Le Souef, 1876-08-08 [M76.08.08]. 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/mentions/selected/M76-08-08-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

Office of Lands and Survey
Melbourne, 8th August 1876
Sir
Referring to previous correspondence relative to the issue of Crown Grants for the Royal Park and Zoological Reserves,
1
Both the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society and their landlords, the Royal Park Trustees, were interested in the nature of the grant proposed. See the Society's minute book for the details of their correspondence with the Trustees. The latter also received the Government's proposals and considered them at their meeting on 18 August 1876.
I have the honor to forward the accompanying plan
2
Plan not found.
and, by direction of the Honorable the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, to furnish the following information as to what is intended to be done
1, It is proposed to permanently reserve for a Public Park the land comprised within the pink border, viz. 429 a. 3r. 26p., and for zoological purposes the land shown by green border, 50a. 0r. 26p., together with the road colored brown thereon, area 50a. 0r. 15p.
2, Upon such permanent reservation being accomplished to issue to the undermentioned gentlemen a Crown Grant of each of the sites specified
Theodotus John Sumner
Ferdinand von Mueller
John Pinney Bear
Clement Hodgkinson
Robert Brough Smyth
David Moore
Robert Ramsay
Frederick Race Godfrey
Albert Purchas
A. K. Smith
William Henry Archer
William Wilkinson Wardell
Hon. Jas. Service
A. J. Skene
3, The Grant of the Public Park will empower the Trustees to hold the same, in trust, for public purposes as a Park, and to make regulations for the management thereof, to be approved by the Governor in Council and published in the Government Gazette.
4, the Grant for the Zoological Reserve will empower the Trustees to hold the same in trust, for Zoological and Acclimatization purposes, and to make regulations, to be approved by the Governor in Council and published in the Government Gazette, for the management thereof and for the admission of the public on certain days on payment of fees to be fixed by such regulations.
The appointment of new Trustees to be made by the Governor.
Prior to giving effect to the foregoing intention, it will be necessary to decide whether the Powder Magazine building near the Flemington Road should be allowed to remain or be sold for removal.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
W. H. Archer
Secretary for Lands
A A Le Souef Esq
Hon Secretary
Zoolog. & Acclim. Soc.
3
When the Trustees met, they voted on each clause separately. The first was passed by a majority vote, with Godfrey, Thomas Black, Bear and M voting in favour and Sumner, Hodgkinson and Wardell voting against (Purchas, though present, was unable to vote because he was not yet a Trustee, but he approved of the clause). The other clauses were passed unanimously. M reported the Trustees' decisions in M to W. H. Archer, 21 August 1876. The Agricultural Society also had an interest in using part of the land and had been in discussion with the Royal Park Trustees; see, for example, M to W. MacFarlane, 22 June 1876, and notes thereto.