James Smith (gardener)

{{Short description|One of two gardeners trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

File:HMS Guardian Riou.jpg under the command of Captain Edward Riou striking an iceberg on the way to New Holland}}]]

James Smith (fl. 1780s) was one of two gardeners trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London and sent by Joseph Banks to care for plants on a voyage to the British colony in New Holland (Australia) in 1789. Together with fellow gardener George Austin, Smith travelled on the fated storeship HMS Guardian carrying supplies to the new colony as a follow-up to the ships of the First Fleet which had arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788. The vessel was specially fitted out to carry agricultural crops to the new colony and the two gardeners were to care for the plants during the voyage.See {{Harvnb|Coleman|2006}}{{Harvnb|Finney|1984|pp=51–53}} Plants were supplied by Brentford nurseryman Hugh Ronalds, at Banks' request.{{Cite journal|last=Ronalds|first=B.F.|date=2017|title=Ronalds Nurserymen in Brentford and Beyond|journal=Garden History|volume=45|pages=82–100}}