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Banks
Peninsula on the South Island of New Zealand was named after Sir
Joseph Banks, First Baronet. The name was chosen by Captain
James Cook. Sir Joseph Banks was born in London in February
1743; he was a botanist and naturalist. Joseph Banks accompanied
James Cook in his first trip which was from 1768 to 1771. There
is around seventy five species have Banks name. He was sent to
Habrow School at nine years old then at thirteen he went to
Eton. At school he was not particular a good student, he hated
classical studies. After Eton he got very interested in plants
and insects. Joseph entered Oxford at seventeen years old.
During his studies in university his father passed away and left
him a large fortune. As Botany was not taught in the Oxford
University he was able with his heritage to hire a private tutor
who was Israel Lyons a botanist and astronomer. When he
accompanied James Cook in his voyage Joseph Banks only twenty
five, it was for him a big opportunity and he choose to bring
with him Dr Daniel Solander. In August 1768 he took place on the
HMS Endeavour for the exploration of the Pacific. He made his
first plants collection in Tierra del Fuego in South America.
Then they sailed to Tahiti where the observation of the transit
of Venus took place. After there observation the ship sailed
southward just to an unknown direction. One year later in 1769
they came across Australia and New Zealand which was at that
time known as New Holland. They landed and Joseph Banks was able
to collect more plants but the place was so abundant that they
decided to call it Botany Bay. Dr Solander and Joseph Banks
contracted malaria in Malay Archipelago and they both almost
died but luckily survived. After almost three years they decided
to come back home. Later on Dr Solander and Banks made another
voyage with James Cook. Sir Joseph Banks died in 1820, but was
considered as a very famous person though. |
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