Botany Bay

a border water on the southeastern coast of New South Wales, Australia. It received its name in 1770 from Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist of Captain Cook's voyage of discovery, who collected a large number of new plants here. At this time Captain Cook took possession in the name of England. In 1788, the American colonies having asserted their independence, and being no longer available as a place of banishment for convicts, the British government founded a penal colony on Port Jackson, where Sydney now stands. It was the British policy for many years to banish thieves, forgers, housebreakers, rioters, and other troublesome characters to this colony, instead of imprisoning them. In some way the colony acquired the popular name of "Botany Bay," but, as a matter of fact, the convict establishment was on the other side of a peninsula some ten miles from Botany Bay. The custom was discontinued in 1840, because of the protest from the settlers, who by that time had become numerous and influential. See Australia