John Batman

John Batman (born 21 January 1801 - 6 May 1839) was an Australian farmer and businessman who was one of the first settlers of the Melbourne area and known for founding Victoria.

Life

Batman was born in Rosehill, Parramatta (now a suburb of Sydney), and spent time in Tasmania (then called Van Diemen's Land) where he began farming, initially on granted land, but his holdings gradually expanded through purchases. In December 1825, or early 1826, Batman captured the notorious bushranger, Matthew Brady.cite web
first=Percival
last=Serle
authorlink=Percival Serle
title = Batman, John (1801 - 1839)
publisher =Project Gutenberg Australia
work=Dictionary of Australian Biography
url =http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogBa.html#batman1
accessdate = 2008-03-14] Australian Dictionary of Biography
last= Brown
first= P. L.
authorlink=
year=1966
id=A010066b
title= Batman, John (1801 - 1839)
accessdate=2008-03-14 ]

Batman sought land grants in the Western Port area of Victoria, but the colonial authorities rejected this. So, in 1835, as a leading member of the Port Phillip Association he sailed for the mainland in the schooner "Rebecca" and explored much of Port Phillip Bay. Batman negotiated a treaty, now known as Batman's Treaty, with some local Aborigines to rent their land on an annual basis for 40 blankets, 30 axes, 100 knives, 50 scissors, 30 mirrors, 200 handkerchiefs, 100 pounds of flour and 6 shirts. It is unlikely that the Wurundjeri people would have understood this transfer of land or agreed to it if they had, but, as Percival Serle wrote, "No doubt the blankets, knives, tomahawks, etc., that he gave them were very welcome". In any case, the Governor of New South Wales deemed such a treaty invalid as the land was owned by the Crown rather than the Aborigines. When he found the current site of central Melbourne he noted in his diary, "This will be the place for a village."

Batman and his family settled at what became known as Batman's Hill at the western end of Collins Street, building a house at the base in April 1836, where he lived until his death. Batman's health quickly declined after 1835, and he became estranged from his wife, convict Elizabeth Callaghan. They had had seven daughters and a son. His son drowned in the Yarra River. In his last months he was cared for by the local Aborigines.Fact|date=March 2008 On his death his widow and family moved from the house at Batman's Hill and the government requisitioned the house for government offices.cite journal
author = Sid Brown
year = 2002
month = November
title = Batman's Hill to Southern Cross - via Spencer Street
journal = Newsrail
pages = 335–347 ]

Memorials

Batman was buried in the Old Melbourne Cemetery, where a memorial remains, [cite web
url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/onthisday/decade.cfm?d=1830
title=On These Days - Parliament of Victoria
publisher=www.parliament.vic.gov.au
accessdate=2008-07-06] but was exhumed and re-buried in the Fawkner Cemetery, a cemetery named after his fellow colonist John Pascoe Fawkner. [cite web
url=http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/People/Batman.asp
title=John Batman
publisher=www.whitehat.com.au
accessdate=2008-07-06]

He is remembered by a number of statues around Melbourne, as well as a railway station in North Coburgcite book | author= Thomas O'Callaghan | title = Names of Victorian Railway Stations | publisher = Government Printer| year = 1918 | isbn =0 9580716 0 8 (2003 facsimile edition)] and bridge in Northern Tasmania are named after him.

His direct descendant is Australian sprinter Daniel Batman. [cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Brats-all-folks-sprint-ace-Batman-comes-of-age/2005/03/04/1109700675887.html
title=Brat's all folks: sprint ace Batman comes of age
work=Sydney Morning Herald
author=Jacquelin Magnay
date=March 5, 2005
publisher=www.smh.com.au
accessdate=2008-07-06]

ee also

*History of Melbourne

References

* A Pictorial History of Bushrangers, "Prior, Wannan and Nunn", 1968, Paul Hamlyn Pty Ltd, Melbourne

External links

* [http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/portphillip/inter/3565.shtml Transcript of John Batman's journal] at the State Library of Victoria.
* [http://www.nma.gov.au/kidz/batmania/ Batmania: a fun way to explore the people and events surrounding the foundation of Melbourne, images of the Batman Land Deed and other historical documents] at the National Museum of Australia.