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John Batman is regarded as the founder of Victoria, and he was the first settler in the Melbourne area.
John Batman was born in Parramatta, Sydney, in 1801. As a native born Australian, Batman was interested in opening up new pastureland in order to develop the growth of the colonies. He applied for land in the Westernport Bay area of southern Australia, now Victoria, but was not granted any.
In May 1835, he led a syndicate calling themselves the 'Port Phillip Association' to explore Port Phillip Bay, looking for suitable sites for a settlement. On 6 June 1835, he signed a 'treaty' with the Aborigines, giving him free access to almost 250,000 hectares of land. In August that year, Governor Bourke declared Batman's treaties invalid, and issued a proclamation warning off him and his syndicate as trespassers on crown land. Despite the attempts at government intervention, the foundling settlement of Melbourne remained, and flourished.
Batman's place in Australian history is unique for several reasons. He was the only 19th century white to acknowledge that Aborigines owned land. He set out to undertake an annual rental for what was then a reasonable amount of food and goods, rather than buy it from them for a pittance. Further, he is the only native-born Australian to have founded a state capital city.
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What was the name of John Batman's ship?
Rebecca.
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John Batman is regarded as the founder of Melbourne, and therefore the first European to settle there.
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