George Caley (10 June 1770 – 23 May 1829) was an English botanist and explorer, active in Australia for the majority of his career. Early life Caley was born in Craven, Yorkshire, England, the son of a horse-dealer. He was educated at the Free Grammar School at Manchester for around four years and was then taken into his father's stables. According to a letter which was sent to William Withering on 15 June 1798, he started teaching himself botany after he coming across a volume of book about farriery which was written by William Gibson cause he became interested in the herbs mentioned in prescriptions. He started learning botany by studying Botanical arrangement (1787-92) by William Withering. He changed his job to that of a weaver in order to allow himself to spent more time with his associate in Manchester School of Botanists which consist of John Mellor, James Crowther, and John Dewhurst. This school was also attended by John Horsefield on 1808. In March 1795 he wrote to Sir Joseph Banks who, after warning him about the small financial rewards to be expected by a botanist for his labour, suggested that he might be able to obtain work for him as a gardener's labourer, which would give opportunities of increasing his knowledge. He worked in Kew Gardens and other gardens. Australia Banks appointed Caley as a botanical collector in New South Wales in 1798. He was given a free passage to Sydney aboard the Speedy, where he arrived on 15 April 1800. He was paid weekly wage of 15 shillings, was allowed rations by the government and he was also given a cottage at Parramatta. Governor King, writing to Banks in September 1800, expressed his intention to establish a botanical garden near the cottage. Caley was assisted by Daniel Moowattin an Aboriginal man of the Darug people. Daniel was Caley's interpreter, bush guide, gatherer of plant and animal specimens, bird-trapper, servant and companion on expeditions around Sydney. Caley sent many botanical and other specimens to Banks and his letters also kept Banks informed of the general conditions of the colony as well as scientific matters. Caley was the first to make a serious effort to study the Eucalyptus. In 1801 Caley went with Lieutenant James Grant to Western Port and in 1804 he gave King a long report on "A journey to ascertain the Limits or Boundaries of Vaccary