Publication: Sir Joseph Banks: Unknown Hero
By Olivia Prendergast
Sir Joseph Banks… “Oh dear!” You’re thinking. “Should I know him?” This is the reaction most people (including myself) have when they hear his name. But in this article I will tell you of the life of Joseph Banks, from baby to botanist. I hope to put across to you the impact that he had on my life, your life and all of our lives today.
Joseph Banks was born in London into a wealthy family in 1743. You probably cannot imagine that such a huge man ever was so small! His passion for plants shone through at an early age and lasted his entire lifetime. His childhood was much the same as any other aristocratic boy living in the 1700’s; luxury.
After studying hard at the famous Oxford University, he inherited his father’s huge fortune. And whereas you, today, might have gone on a huge shopping trip to New York or bought tickets to see the World Cup, Joseph decided to make his first voyage. Not for a relaxing break, no, this was a voyage of discovery at the age of just 23 years!
He traveled to Newfoundland and Labrador to collect plants, animals and rocks. What you must understand is that the two places that he chose were just about the most miserable you could find. I can defiantly say that is was no picnic! I know what you‘re thinking, “How could some rocks shape the society that we live in today?” Give me a chance, and I’ll tell you.
Two weeks after his return, Banks was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a posh way of saying that he was invited to be somebody important in a big science club. In 1768, he joined the society’s expedition, led by Captain James Cook, to search for undiscovered land in the South Pacific. Banks got the chance to feel something that few of us ever get to feel on Earth: the unknown. He must have been riddled with curiosity, not knowing what was out there and having the chance to explore areas that had never been ventured into before. Only space probes can do that now.
James Cook and his crew circumnavigated the world. They visited South America, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and Java. On route, our friend Banks got together a treasure-trove of plant and animal specimens. The trip took them three years to complete.
Returning home in 1771, the brave adventurers were hailed as heroes – especially Banks. This was because of the tales he told of Maori warriors and exotic animals. Joseph had seen what so many longed to see. He had been one of the first people to “think outside the box,” as it were.
The following year he led Britain’s first scientific expedition to Iceland, but this was to be the last of his voyages. You may be wondering what the conditions on board were like for someone as high ranking as himself. Well one thing is for sure, they were not always luxurious, as this comment from his diary tells us: “Our bread indeed is indifferent, occasioned by the quantity of Vermin that are in it, I have seen hundreds nay thousands shaken out of a single biscuit.”
Banks settled in London and collected a humongous library and herbarium at his home in Soho Square, although this was not his only home. He also bought a house in Kent. It was called Provender House and is coincidently now home to a Russian Princess, Olga Romanoff.
Banks’ enthusiasm, knowledge and unique collections put him at the core of Georgian scientific and social life for five decades. I know what you are thinking, “A guy who studies rocks has a social life?” Well, things were different back then. Joseph’s experiences intrigued the people around him, and because he understood man’s desire to explore, he made his house open to anyone who, on introduction, wished to examine his plants and books.
Mr Banks maintained a massive network of friends and correspondents all over the world. Through his letters he helped to further knowledge and ultimately shape the development of the British Empire.
In 1778 Joseph Banks was elected the president of the Royal Society; and also became the unofficial director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Under his care, Kew became one of the best botanical gardens in the world. In this role, he sent explorers out all over to find “economically useful species that can be grown on British lands.”
One trip which he helped to arrange was William Bligh’s infamous trip on the HMS Bounty (not named after the chocolate!) better known for its mutiny. Bligh’s mission had been to collect breadfruit from Tahiti for crop growing as a food source in the West Indies. By transplanting species between countries and continents, Banks changed entire landscapes.
He also championed the British colonization of Australia. Somewhat less admirably he favoured making Botany Bay, one of his best finds in the Antipodes, a punishing settlement.
Banks’ famous plant collection is now held at the Natural History Museum, along with insects and shells that he acquired throughout his life. These are all still valued research tools, as well as important historical artifacts.
However, perhaps the most important legacy left by Banks is the many plants that he discovered and exchanged between the Old World and the New.