376 RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN' MUSEUM. 



offering to take charge of the Maseum animals on certain conditions. 

 The Trustees ultimately consented to the transfer on the following tei'ras, 

 viz.: — payment for the cages, bodies to be returned to the Museum after 

 death, and present to the Trustees the bodies "of such animals as may 

 die iu his (Beaumont's) possession^^g " 



A view of these Botany Zoological Gardens will be found in " Ford's 

 Australian Almanac " for ISSS^*^. In the same publication for 1851 

 there is an unpaged advertisement towards the end of the volume setting 

 forth the attractions of the Gai-dens, which is rather amusing. This 

 enterprising tirm also secured an Elephant, of twenty months old, brought 

 by the ship " Royal Shxou " from Calcutta in August, 1851^*'!. This 

 Elephant, witli other nnimals, was exhibited " by permission of the Right 

 Worshipful the Mayor and Corporation " on Hyde Park, at the corner of 

 Park and Elizabeth Streets^*^-. In "Press Cuttings from the Newspapers 

 of Fifty Years ago***^," this venture of Beaumont and Waller is spoken of 

 as the " small menagerie upon the racecourse." 



In April, 1855, Secretary Angas applied to the Colonial Secretary 

 for £5,000 to be placed on the Estimates towards completing the internal 

 fittings of the North Wiugi*^, which received a gracious aiisweri*^^^ i^^t 

 eventuated in only £2,000 reaching the Trustees^''^ (Approp. Act 18 

 Vict. No. 34, 1855). 



In the Annual Report for 1855 the completion of the gallery in the 

 North Wing in the previous year was reported. The Report also says: — 



" As soon as the Trustees were made aware that the Legislature had voted the 

 sum of ^3,000" 



plans and specifications for cabinets and fittings were obtained^''", 

 exhibited to the Board at the end ot 1855, and a design having been 

 agreed upon, the matter was placed in the hands of Capt. W. E. Ward for 

 execution, and tenders ordered to be called for^*^ ; the latter, however, 

 appear to have been for only a portion of the work. 



On the 1st September, 1855, Di-. George Witt relinquished his 

 Trusteeship)"'^. Dr. Witt was a member of the Old Committee, having 

 been appointed by His Excellency Sir C. A. Fitzioy in September, 

 1852^'^o_ jjg ief<; ^\^Q Colony to reside in London. 



'■''« Minutes, 2nd September and 7th October, 1854. 



160 Frontispiece. 



'«' Syd. Morning Herald, 27th Aug., 1851. 



'"2 „ „ „ 12th Sept. 1851. 



i«3 Old Times, i., 2, 1903, p. 100. 



'«J Letter- book, i.. p. H6. 



20.55 

 "*■'* Minutes, 12th Mav, 1855; Document .\ 



26 

 >«« Letter-book, i., j). 151. 

 "«" Annual Kei)t. tor 1855, ]>. 1. 



'•"* Minutes, 3rd Noveml>er, Iwt and 2otli Decendier, 1855. 

 '«'•' „ Ist Septemlier, 1855. 

 10.52 



'"" Document, li 



6 



