John Batman recorded in his journal that he had signed a treaty with the local Aboriginal people, the Wurundjeri to buy 2,000 km of land around Melbourne and another 400 km around Geelong. In exchange he gave the eight chiefs whose marks he acquired on the treaty, a quantity of blankets, knives, tomahawks, scissors, looking-glasses, flour, handkerchiefs and shirts. Under British law, the treaty was legally invalid as the land belonged to the Crown, not to the Wurundjeri.

Although the treaty was declared null and void by Governor Bourke within six months of John and Henry Batman and the Port Phillip Association organising this treaty, it remains an interesting part of Melbourne's early history.

Copy of Batman's Treaty of Melbourne, 1835. Original hand written on parchment in triplicate.

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Article from the Victorian Historical Journal Vol.85, No.1, June 2014. Discusses John Batman's 1835 visit to Port Phillip and possible alternative sites for signing his treaty with Indigenous people of the area.

21 pages, maps.

john batman, batmans treaty

Ian Hunter, an aboriginal elder, has criticised a proposal by Darebin Council to replace the name Batman Park with that of an aboriginal man.

Small newspaper clipping, black and white text.

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Jim Poulter's research indicates that the accepted account of Batman's Treaty with aboriginal elders regarding purchase of the land of Melbourne is not true. He claims the Treaty was signed in Greensborough.

Newspaper clipping, text and images.

Date written in black ink: "Feb 2017"

john batman, batmans treaty

This account describes the site of the meeting between Wurundjeri elders and John Batman, at which the "Batman Treaty" was signed. Reinterpretation of a narrative dictated by William Barak in 1888. Edited by Jim Poulter in consultation with Wurundjeri elders in August 2014

3 pages typescript, 2 black and white , 1 colour photograph.

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An examination of conflicts in John Batman's account of the so-called treaty with the Wurundjeri in 1835.

16 p., booklet. 2 copies.

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A critical discussion of John Batman's account of his land purchase of land in Melbourne and Geelong, with reference to the eye-witness account of Woiwurung leader William Barak

11 p., typescript

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Discussion of John Daniels' theory that "Batman's Treaty" was signed on the southern bank of the Merri Creek in Reservoir. It follows Batman up the Maribyrnong River and his meeting with 'a native family' who took him to the Merri Creek.

1 p. reprint of address at general Meeting [of Port Phillip Pioneers Group?] 11 July 2014, by Jan Hanslow

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Book review of "Possession: Batman's Treaty and the matter of history" by Bain Attwood. The book discusses the motives behind the treaty and its historical implications. Review by Penelope Edmonds.

There is much dispute over where and if Batman's Treaty was signed.

Newspaper clipping, text and images.

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