Sir Joseph Banks The Father of Australia

Sydney; London: William Applegate Gullick; Trench & Co., 1909. Leather. Near Fine. 9" by 6". Unamed. A fascinating insight into one of the most important figures of the colonisation of Australia. Illustrated, with 64 illustrations, including five folding plates. Written by Joseph Maiden, a botanist who made a major contribution to the knowledge of Australian flora. He was the Government botanist of New South Wales and Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Prior owner was C J B Proudman of Brislington, Bristol. Loosely inserted is a receipt from the purchase of this book from Bibliophile, Sydney, dated 17/03/1994. This is a comprehensive biography of Sir Joseph Banks, a British naturalist, botanist and patron of natural scientists. He took part in James Cook's first great voyage (1768-1771) and some of the plates to this volume are Cook's charts. Banks advocated British settlement in New South Wales and the colonisation of Australia. He also established Botany Bay, as a place for the reception of convicts. The genus Banksia is named after him due to his introduction of it to the western world. He also introduced eucalyptus and acacia. In a quarter morocco binding with original pictorial cloth boards. Gilt stamped design to front board. Has been rebacked with morocco, retaining original boards. Externally, lovely with just a few handling marks. Internally, firmly bound. Institutional stamp to title page, page xvii and to folding facsimile plates 'St Peters institute'. Pages are bright and clean. Near Fine