Editing Joseph Banks (section)

==Colonisation of New South Wales==
Banks's own time in Australia, however, led to his interest in the British [[colonisation]] of that continent. He was to be the greatest proponent of settlement in New South Wales. A genus of the [[Proteaceae]] was named in his honour as ''[[Banksia]]''.<ref name="ADB"/> In 1779, Banks, giving evidence before a committee of the House of Commons, had stated that in his opinion the place most eligible for the reception of [[Convictism in Australia|convicts]] "was Botany Bay, on the coast of [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]", on the general grounds that, "it was not to be doubted that a Tract of Land such as New Holland, which was larger than the whole of Europe, would furnish Matter of advantageous Return".<ref>''Journals of the House of Commons,'' 19 Geo. III, 1779, Vol. 37, p. 311. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9BdDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA525]</ref>

Although Banks remained uninvolved in these colonies in a hands on manner, he was, nonetheless, the general adviser to the government on all Australian matters for twenty years. He arranged that a large number of useful trees and plants should be sent out in the supply ship {{HMS|Guardian|1784|6}}, which was unfortunately wrecked, as well as other ships; many of these were supplied by [[Hugh Ronalds]] from his nursery in [[Brentford]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ronalds|first=B.F.|date=2017|title=Ronalds Nurserymen in Brentford and Beyond|jstor=44987945|journal=Garden History|volume=45|issue=1 |pages=82–100}}</ref> Every vessel that came from New South Wales brought to Banks plants or animals or geological and other specimens and, on at least one occasion, human remains. Governor [[Philip Gidley King]] sent Banks the severed head of an Aboriginal man named [[Pemulwuy]] that Banks had seemingly listed as among his "desiderata."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ashby |first1=J. |last2=Machin |first2=R. |title=Legacies of colonial violence in natural history collections |journal=Journal of Natural Science Collections |date=2021 |volume=8 |pages=44–54 |url=http://www.natsca.org/article/2631}}</ref> 

He was continually called on for help in developing the agriculture and trade of the colony, and his influence was used in connection with the sending out of early free settlers, one of whom, a young gardener [[George Suttor]], later wrote a memoir of Banks. The three earliest governors of the colony, [[Arthur Phillip]], [[John Hunter (Royal Navy officer)|John Hunter]], and [[Philip Gidley King]], were in continual correspondence with him. Banks produced a significant body of papers, including one of the earliest Aboriginal Australian words lists compiled by a European.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections-significant-collections-sir-joseph-banks-papers-1767-1822/sir-joseph-1|title=Sir Joseph Banks Collection|date=29 June 2016|website=www.sl.nsw.gov.au|language=en|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> Bligh was also appointed governor of [[New South Wales]] on Banks's recommendation. Banks followed the explorations of [[Matthew Flinders]], [[George Bass]], and Lieutenant [[James Grant (navigator)|James Grant]], and among his paid helpers were [[George Caley]], Robert Brown, and Allan Cunningham.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

However, Banks backed [[William Bligh]] to be installed as the new governor of New South Wales and to crack down on the [[New South Wales Corps]] (or Rum Corps), which made a fortune on the trading of rum. This brought him in direct confrontation with post-Rum Rebellion ''de facto'' leaders such as [[John Macarthur (wool pioneer)|John Macarthur]] and [[George Johnston (British Marines officer)|George Johnston]]. This backing led to the [[Rum Rebellion]] in Sydney, whereby the governor was overthrown by the two men. This became an embarrassment for Sir Joseph Banks, also, because years earlier, he campaigned that John Macarthur not be granted {{convert|10,000|acres|ha|order=flip}} of land near Sydney in the cow pastures, which was later granted by Lord Camden. The next governor, [[Lachlan Macquarie]], was asked to arrest Macarthur and Johnston, only to realise that they had left Sydney for London to defend themselves. He was humiliated that Macarthur and Johnston were acquitted from all charges in London and both later returned to Sydney.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}