Joseph Banks - plant hunter who made Kew Gardens the wonder of the world

Person

Joseph Banks - plant hunter who made Kew Gardens the wonder of the world

Joseph Banks (1743–1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences, who helped to make Kew Gardens what it is today. He accompanied explorer Captain James Cook on his expeditions, searching out plants.

Beginning his career as a glamorous adventurer, he became in later life a kind of one-man scientific hub, involved in many of the discoveries of the era.

From a wealthy background, Banks had already proved himself both a skilled naturalist and writer when the Royal Navy allowed him to join Captain James Cook's scientific expedition to the South Pacific Ocean on HMS Endeavour from 1768 to 1771.

The ship visited Brazil, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia, and Banks brought back hundreds of botanical specimens. Around 80 species of plants bear his name.

After these early adventures, which made him famous, Banks remained largely in London, but inspired, befriended and advised many younger scientists and explorers. He was a patron of Herschel, one of greatest astronomers and the discoverer of Uranus, and the chemist and inventor of the Davy miner’s lamp, Humphrey Davy.

He supported explorer Mungo Park in his bid to explore Africa, and helped to organise William Bligh’s voyages (one entailing the infamous mutiny on the Bounty) to transplant breadfruit from the South Pacific to the Caribbean islands.

He held the position of president of the Royal Society for over 41 years. He advised King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and by sending botanists around the world to collect plants, he made Kew the world's leading botanical gardens. By about 1800, almost every ship sailing to Britain from any British colony carried plants destined for Kew, and when new plants reached Kew the gardeners worked to have them on public display ahead of any other European garden.

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