Erected in the 1980's this commemorates the first, unofficial, director, for nearly 50 years, of the Kew Botanic Gardens. The gardens were initiated by Augusta, the Dowager Princess of Wales and mother of George III in concert with Lord Bute (1713-1792) who was a passionate gardener and botanist. They had appointed William Aiton as gardener in 1759, which is considered the founding date for the gardens. Sir Joseph Banks (1744 - 1820) was a very wealthy and very enthusiastic botanist. He returned in 1771 from the first of Captain Cook's exploratory voyages in the Endeavour, for which Banks paid the fares of himself and five other scientists. At that time George III and Queen Charlotte asked him to take on the role of directing Aiton in the development of the gardens which had been performed by Lord Bute (who had been driven from Kew by the furore raised by his political enemies over his relationship with Augusta). His funding of various expeditions resulted in the introduction of some seven thousand exotics into Britain and the spread of various plants from their native habitats around the empire.

O/S Co-ords:1863.7762
Source(s):

Kew Past