354 RECORDS OP THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Excellency " sanctiouiug the erection of the Museum." This plan was also 

 submitted to the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Lewis saying in his covering 

 letter : — 



' ' The plan requested, drawn in accordance with the general views of the 

 Committee, and althou>j^h the design is not so ornamental as I could wish, 

 yet it is chaste, and atfords all the accommodation requisite for some years 

 to come, and is so planned to admit a great extension on a superior scale as 

 well as ornament hereafter." (PL xlvi.) 



On the 12th February, 1846, a letter was received from the Colonial 

 Secretary [Honorable E. Deas Thomson] informing the Committee that 

 the Colonial Architect : — 



" has been authorised to proceed with the BuilcUng " : — 



Colonial Secx-etary's Office, 



Sydney, 12th February, 1846. 

 Gentlemen, 



With i-eference to my letter of the 4th instant, respecting the Site 

 granted for the erection of a Museum, I do myself the honour to inform 

 you that, by command of His Excellency the Governor, the Colonial 

 Architect has been authorised to proceed with the Building, according to 

 a plan submitted l)y him, and approved of by His Excellency the sum of 

 three thousand pounds (=£;30(X)) having been included in the Estimates 

 for the present year. 



I have the honour to be. 

 Gentlemen, 



Your Most obedient servant 

 The Committee of for the Colonial Secretary 



The Australian Museum. (Sgd.) W. Elyard, Junr. 



The commencement of tlie present building was made in the early 

 part of 1846, probably late in March, with the construction of a portion 

 of the North Wing, or that part facing William Street, and compi-ised a 

 basement, area, and area wall, the dimensions, expressed in more than one 

 document emanating from the Colonial Secretary's Office, being 108 feet 

 long by 64 feet wide, 51 feet high, ar.d 852,512 feet cubic contents. 



I give the mouth of March as the commencement of building ojtera- 

 tions on the faith »)f a M.S. document in the Mitchell Library : — 



" Schedule of Tenders for Works towards erection of a Public Museum, 

 Sydney, received in pursuance of Puhlic Notice dated 15th February, 

 184(), inserted in tlie New South Wales (ioveniment Gazetti^ of 17. 20. 

 24 ami 27 Fe)>ruary, 'A and (i March, opened in presence of the under- 

 signed (,n i» March. * 



E. Deas Tliomson 

 (Sgd.) Wm. Lithgow 



Mortimer \V. Lewis, C.A." 



This is supported by the following extract fi-om ai\ official letter 

 deposited in the same Library. Through it we learned the name of the 

 contractor : — 



No. 46/59. Colonial Secretary's Office 



Sydney, V.^ih Mareh, I SKI. 

 Sir, 



In transmitting to you the enclosed Schedule of Tenders for the per- 

 formance of certain Works towards the Erection of a PuliHc Museum. I 

 am directed V>y the Governor to inform you that His Excellency Mjiinnves 

 of the Tender of Mr. George Paton being accepted. 



I have, etc. 

 The Colonial for the Colonial Secretary 



Architect. W. ElyanL .luur. 



