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Commissioned by Banks and underwritten by the Admiralty for Cook's 2nd voyage. Minted for gifts on the voyage as narrated by L.Richard Smith. "Banks decided some form of medal should be struck to commemorate the voyage. He was aware that the French Expedition of 1766 under Bouganville had done this. Ironically, it was the Forsters father and son who probably discussed the idea with Banks. George Forster had translated Bouganville's voyage into English and he and his father Johann Reinhold were to displace Banks in his second voyage. Whilst the idea of taking the medals was probably Banks' the realisation of the idea was probably Boulton's. Boulton, a celebrated medal designer and engraver supplied the first steam press to the Royal Mint. The actual order to Banks was probably made in rather vague terms and Boulton then produced a medal design using Banks' suggestions. It is probable that Banks at first only considered the production of a quantity of medals for his own presentation; it was not until later that the idea of official distribution to the natives and the subsequent transfer of the die costs to the Admiralty occurred to him" (From the book of L.Richard Smith, The Resolution & Adventure Medal, Sydney 1985)

Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, GCB, PRS (13 February 1743 – 19 June 1820) was an British naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage (1768–1771). Banks is credited with the introduction to the Western world of eucalyptus, acacia, mimosa, and the genus named after him, Banksia. Approximately 80 species of plants bear Banks's name. Banks was also the leading founder of the African Association, a British organization dedicated to the exploration of Africa, and a member of the Society of Dilettanti, which helped to establish the Royal Academy.  
It was Banks's own time in Australia, however, that led to his interest in the British colonisation of that continent. He was to be the greatest proponent of settlement in New South Wales, as is hinted by its early colloquial name, Botany Bay. The identification might have been even closer, as the name "Banksia" was proposed for the region by Linnaeus. In the end a genus of Proteaceae was named in his honour as Banksia.  

In 1779 Banks, giving evidence before a committee of the House of Commons, had stated that in his opinion the place most eligible for the reception of convicts "was Botany Bay, on the coast of New Holland". His interest did not stop there, for when the settlement was made, and for 20 years afterwards, his fostering care and influence was always being exercised. He was in fact the general adviser to the government on all Australian matters. He arranged that a large number of useful trees and plants should be sent out in the supply ship Guardian which, however, was wrecked, and every vessel that came from New South Wales brought plants or animals or geological and other specimens to Banks. He was continually called on for help in developing the agriculture and trade of the colony, and his influence was used in connection with the sending out of early free settlers, one of whom, a young gardener George Suttor, afterwards wrote a memoir of Banks. The three early governors, Arthur Phillip, John Hunter, and Philip Gidley King, were continually in correspondence with him. He was interested in the explorations of Matthew Flinders, George Bass and Lieutenant James Grant, and among his paid helpers were George Caley, Robert Brown and Allan Cunningham.