banks park

Sir Joseph Banks Park is a 28 hectare park in the eastern suburb of Botany. It is made up of Foreshore Reserve and the Sir Joseph Banks Pleasure Gardens. The gardens were the main attraction of the old Sir Joseph Banks Hotel in the 19th Century. This lifesize bronze statue of Sir Joseph Banks in the park, depicts him examining botanical specimens. Joseph Banks was a naturalist on the expedition of the Endeavour led by James Cook that explored the eastern coast of Australia in 1770 and landed at nearby Botany Bay.