Provenance note

Document 2 in this series was previously located at ML A78-4. Documents 18, 66-68 and 71-72 were previously located at ML A78-3. Documents 34-35, 44-47 were previously located at ML A79-3. These documents were purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales, and transferred to the Mitchell Library in 1910. They were part of the accession which became known as the Brabourne collection.

Documents 1, 2-6, 10, 12-14, 19-25, 33, 36-38, 42-43, 49-54 and 74 were previously located at ML A81. Documents 7-9, 11, 15-17, 26-32, 39-41, 55-61, 63-65, 69, 73, and 75-78 were previously located at ML A82. Document 69 was previously located at ML A83. They are part of an accession of Banks papers purchased for the Mitchell Library from Sotheby's, London, in May 1929.

It is now not possible to reconstruct Banks' original arrangement, the series has therefore been arranged alphabetically by correspondent's name.

Background note

Sir Joseph Banks corresponded with many gardeners and botanical collectors throughout the world, many of whom were privately funded by Banks. His collectors included horticulturists, gardeners and collectors, both trained and amateur; physicians and other medically trained men; civil servants; and army officers and naval personnel including navigators, explorers and governors.

Many collected for Banks' private herbarium or on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew making him responsible for an international exchange of plant and animal species. His numerous correspondents in this endeavour include William Townsend Aiton, Alexander Beatson, Robert Beck, Edward Boisson, Arthur Broughton, Allan Cunningham, Alexander Duncan, William Hamilton, William Kerr, James Main, Thomas Manning, Thomas Martyn, Alexander Moon, Duncan Murchison, John Murray, William Roxburgh, Richard Shepherd, John Sibthorp, Jonathon Sowerby, Edward Studd, George Suttor, William Swainton, Nathaniel Wallich, James Wiles, and others.

Subjects

Gardeners - New South Wales
Plants - Transportation
Collectors and collecting - Botanical Gardeners