Provenance note 

Many of the documents in this series were previously located at ML MSS 743/1, 2 or 3. Documents 8, 24, 41 and 86 previously located at ML MSS 743/1, were acquired for the Mitchell Library from the London bookseller Francis Edwards in December 1946. 

Documents 1-7, 9, 11, 14, 17-21, 23, 25-35, 37-39, 42-43, 48-52, 54-56, 60, 64-66, 70, 76-78, 80-81, 83-85, 87-95, 97-102, 104-106, 108-109, 111-120, 122-128, 130-133 and 136 previously located at ML MSS 743/2, were acquired for the Library from Maggs Brothers in London, in December 1946. 

Document 45, previously located at ML MSS 743/3, was acquired for the Library from Angus & Robertson in December 1933. 

Other documents in this series were purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by Sir Saul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales. They were transferred to the Mitchell Library in 1910 and were part of the accession which became known as the Brabourne collection. 

These include documents 59 previously located at ML A78-3; the enclosure to document 59 previously located at ML A79-1; documents 36 and 71 previously located at ML A79-2; documents 53, 67, 71, 74, 79 and 107 previously located at ML A79 -3; documents 12, 15-16, 129 and 134-135 previously located at ML A 80-1; and documents 10, 22, 40, 58, 69, 73, 82, 103 and 121 previously located at ML A80-2. 

Still other documents are part of an accession of Banks papers purchased by the Public Library of New South Wales from Sotheby's, London, in May 1929. These include documents 46 and 57 previously located at ML A81; documents 68 and 72 previously located at ML A82; and document 44 previously located at ML A83. 

Document 75, previously located at ML C181, was acquired for the Library from Angus & Robertson in February 1911. 

Document 110, previously located at ML C209, was acquired from Angus & Robertson in December 1912. 

The remaining documents in this series were part of the personal library of Sir William Dixson which was bequeathed to the State Library of New South Wales in 1952. Dixson's bequest was formally handed over when the Dixson Library was opened in 1959. These include documents 47, 61-62 and 96 previously located at DL MSQ 158. 

Many letters in this series include the original folio number assigned by Banks, written in ink in an unknown hand in the top right hand corner. 

It is now not possible to reconstruct Banks' original arrangement. The series has therefore been arranged chronologically. 

Background note 

Sir Joseph Banks, a diligent and conscientious correspondent, responded to even the most trivial correspondence. He often wrote copies of his replies to letters directly on to the letter received. Some of these replies have become separated from the original letter.