Just for something different I thought I would abandon the pedantic tone of previous ANDYSEZs and take a look at a piece of the history of government involvement in cave research. In 1881 the NSW Parliament created a committee to oversee the exploration of the caves and rivers of the State. The Committee was run by the Australian Museum. The Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, including "Minutes, Reports, Correspondence and Accounts", were duly tabled in 1882. There is much to be gained from reading these documents - if for nothing else than to show that in government nothing changes very much. Note both the length and shortness of the time frames involved.

The story actually starts in February 1866 with a letter from the famous palaeontologist Professor Richard Owen in London requesting that £200 be made available for fossil work at Wellington. It was duly replied to in June 1869 telling Owen that Parliament had voted the money. There isn't space for more than a few of the better pieces of bureaucracy. In September 1876:

Letters to be prepared [by the Colony of New South Wales] asking neighbouring colonies whether of not they are willing to aid [in the exploration of rivers and caves].

The Colonial Secretaries of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, New Zealand and Western Australia responded. As summarised in the Votes and Proceedings:

Victoria does not see propriety of joining in the expenditure.
South Australia will be willing provided examination extends to the caves at Mount Gambier.
Queensland requires more information before deciding.
New Zealand regrets that it has no funds at disposal to assist.
Tasmania unable to recommend any expenditure because the caves and rivers intended to explore are in Australia alone.
Western Australia cannot give an answer as Parliament is not in session.

"Cabinet has decided that this colony [NSW] should do the work". Nothing much seems to have resulted from the federation of the Colonies, does it? In May 1877 a budget was prepared. For cave exploration for six months, £251/10/- was suggested as being necessary; for the fishing party £339 was estimated but :

The amount of spirits of wine required would of course depend on the success of the fishing party.

A Mr C. Jenkins sent a telegram to the committee in June 1881:

Beg to offer services for exploration rivers and caves. Send formal letters tonight.

The formal letter was duly received. It ran to eight lines - where were the selection criteria, the duty statement. the curriculum vitae, the referees names and addresses? Anyhow, he got the job and dug up some interesting bones from Cave Hill near Wee Jasper. These were duly lost on the rail or in the Australian Museum. We now think that would have been of considerable importance as Dave Gillieson and I have radiocarbon data on the site - but no skulls etc. Jenkins was ultimately sent off to dig up Aboriginal skeletons near Cowra and soon got into trouble with the locals and rightly so - he doesn't seem to have been a particularly nice man even allowing for the mores of the times. He was sacked in November but didn't fill in his vouchers or return his tent, tools etc. Much correspondence resulted but it is not clear whether he filled out his forms and got paid or if he gave his gear back.

Also in June 1881, a Mr J. Sibald was offered a job at eight shillings a day to explore the Wellington Caves. The Committee was to provide tents and tools: Sibald, his food. He telegraphed back to the Museum:

Accept your offer provided you supply candles.

Telegrams whizzed back-and-forth about the manner of trivia in August:

Men want money. Send lots magnesium wire and measuring tape.
Wire and money sent to Barnes tonight.
What happened to the tape?

And again in October:

Send lots magnesium wire.

And in November ... to and from Jenkins and the Museum:

Where is Mr. Jenkins - has he yet gone to Cowra?
Arrived Cowra last night, skeleton secured, fossil bones and report on Monday.
When will you be in Cowra? What will your address be?
Do not go to Cowra. Send reports, specimens, accounts and await instructions.

There was a Mr H. Barnes involved in all this - he seems to have been a sort of roving foreman for the Museum and the Committee's interest and encountered the bureaucratic run around.

From Wellington on 1 November 1881 from Barnes to the Museum:

I find no Postal Note with the enclosed. Will you be so kind as to let me know where Lismore is and whether I shall have to go there to get the money, for I don't understand anything about it; and will you be so kind as to ask Mr Ramsay if I am to knock off Mr Sibald as well as his mates, as his telegram says only Sibald's mates.

A telegram back again says:

If you received Morton's letter please return it. No instructions sent to dismiss Sibald. Have you received cheques and vouchers for men's wages. Reply.

And then:

Knock off all men on Monday evening and await further orders. Don't fill up the trenches. Have you plenty dry plates?

Presumably these were photographic plates?

Meanwhile the rivers weren't neglected.

A Mr E. P. Ramsay, a Curator at the Museum, got to work in October 1881 and bought a boat and gear to go fishing in Richmond River. He also purchased:

a cask of spirits, to have on hand in case of an emergency

Mr Ramsay wanted to get the services of a Mr Cook, a coxswain on HMSS "Mable", and properly approached the authorities. A Dr Manning responded and said that although he paid the man he was not responsible for him. So a flurry of telegrams resulted:

Cook cannot go.
Shall I telegraph to Captain Hixson's staff? I decline to take any responsibility.
Doctor Manning declines responsibility.
When does Cook leave? etc.

Dr Manning's address is the Lunacy Department at Gladesville - what does this tell us? A Mr Bailey gets the job in the end. His telegram of offer says:

Shall be glad if you will go fishing for two months, boats, nets, everything ready, can you come at once?

They clearly had some success as:

I am sending per SS "Lismore" two cases; one contains a live carpet snake, the other two drums with fishes. Kindly send me back drums with spirits.

There is much more.... Alas, "spirits of wine" are, of course, preserving alcohol. Being paid to go caving and fishing, with booze thrown in, did sound too good to be true.