340 KECORDS OF TUE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Street, at the south-east corner of the existing Lands Office." Such being 

 the case, it is almost witliin the range of certainty that this is the Bent 

 Street site already i-eferred to as the third Post Office, and the "Museum, 

 Bent Street " of " The New South Wales Calendar." That there was a 

 government office in Bent Street in these early days is certain : — 



" The Court was lield in a building in Bent Street in the premises that years 

 afterwards wei"e used as the (Jovernment Sales Office, just at the rear of 

 the present Education Office"." 



A passage in D. D. Mann's " Present Picture of New South Wales*^," 

 a curious old book published in Loudon in 1811, would, if not carefully 

 read, lead to the belief of the existence of a collection in Sydney as early 

 as 1810, under the name of Bullock's Museum ; in his chapter on Natural 

 History, Mann speaks of " two stuffed specimens" of the Koala, or Native 

 Bear. Bullock's Museum, however, was a privately-owned collection in 

 Piccadilly, London, the proprietor being William Bullock. 



It is certain that as early as 1830 a pernimient Museum was in 

 contemplation, for the Committee of the Australian Subscription Library 

 and Reading Room [afterwards the Public Library of New South Wales] 

 petitioned Governor Darling for the grant of a town allotment : — 



" and suggested that the Museum, then in an embryo state, should ))e com- 

 bined -with the Lilirary'-'." 



Bladen saj's that on 10th Oct., 1831, the Governor gave permission 

 to the Committee : — 



" to select two allotments of ground in Hyde Park'" ... it lieing under- 

 stood that suitable pi'ovision be made for a Museum, which, as far as 

 regards collections of animals, birds, etc., has been already commenced, 

 and which it is conceded may l)e united with great advantage to the 

 Public Library." 



Two allotraenis were selected in Hyde Park, but notliing fui'tlier came of 

 the matter until some years after. 



It is quite evident the idea of a combined Library aTid Museum had 

 not been abandoned by 1835, for we find Governor iJourkc writing to the 

 Secretary for State asking for : — 



" permission to propose to the Council of this Colony" tlie approjtriiition of 

 money for the erection of a V)uilding to serve as a Library and Museum 

 and to l)e ))laced in connection with the Sydney Botanical (hardens 



The building should contain rooms for the Colonial Museum for 



-• Old Times, i.. No. 2, 1903, p. 110. 



'^ Mann—Present Picture of N.S. Wales, p. t9 (-tto., London, 1811). 



I' Bladen-Free Publie Library, N.S.Wales, Historical Notes, etc.. 11)06. p. 7. 



'" Brief notices in the " Sydney Gazette " (xxxiv.. No. 2756, 7th January ; No. 

 2856, 8th Sejit.) lead one to believe that Hyde Park was laid out in 1886. 



" Legislative Council — " In 1824 a proclamation was issued by Oovernor 

 Brisl)ane announcing that the King had l)een pleased to institute a Legislative 

 Councd for New South Wales " (Old Times, i.. pt. 2, 1903, p. 123). The date of this 

 proclamation was llth Aug., 1824. 



