The Argus (, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 22 June 1889, page 4

SCRáFS FROM THE FORTIES. Mayor of Melbourne, and Member for Mel bourne of the Legislative Council of II. 'A THOSISOV, Member for Port Phillip ot the new Legisla ! tive Council of New South Wales JOHN BATMAN'd WIDOW AND v' The reply must have been very dishearten GiIILDRHN*. " ing It is curt as cruel Her Majesty has a o' will Here ia scrap pathos which corni no power to accede to the prayer of the peti with a ot surprise to tion shock many younglVic C 0 , Jan 30,1844 ' 1 tonans It is hended he petition of lohn And this was the end of the famous negotia B ttmun F widow and children to the Queen a tionB with the blacks for the purchase of the ' 1 xcellenc it Moat Majesty and humbly 800,000 acres of land, which, if held, might sheiveth did how the lato lohn Batman nt have became the most valuable estate ever his sole and cost expense in the sear 1835 acquired or held by private hands in the a vessel Die "charter to proceed from Van world Poor Batman coughed hi9 lungs away to the of menu Lund southern portion New in his cottage near the old riagstaft Hill, in Holland howonarriMiighewasinexpressibly 18'i'l and four yara later -his widow and tilled lind tract of grr lo a (.reat country ad children were appealing for aid to the Colonial agricultural mirably adapted tor ami grazing Oflice We have not always enriched or friendly purposes How having cslubhshed honoured our pioneers in confidential and intercourse with the natives, A HEIDEI IlhllO LAID TitOUBrC. he to to Sir Arthur, returned report George There were very early troubles about land, of Sir then Governor lusmanin How and one of the first is introduced to us in a. Oeorge reported to the Colonial Oflice, and letter from Mr Samuel Bohlen to Mr Super the of Port Phillip ' settlement was begun intendent Latrobe, dated Heidelberg, near How Sir Richard Bourk» coming over from 15, ' Melbourne March 1841 , to tormal of Port Jackson take possession Mr Holden writes aa under - this expressed himself aa highly province Having been given to understand that plaased with the exertions of Mr Batman there is some doubt whether the new land will and recommended that he should prefer a regulations affect the formation ot a village at Warringal, parish ot Keelbundora claim to some portion of the waste lauds on the larra \arra, distant from Melbourne All this, however is duly chronicled in the six miles, I take the liberty of addressing histories of the colony We only touch the your Honour upon the subject ' pathos when we come to the close of the When my brother and myself entered for of this - into an petition windi is in these words agreement the purchnso \< " property, 400 acres, at the enormous )price 1 hat the said Tohn Bttman in consc of ¿1710s per acre it was upon the tanti of quence ot the exposure ot his pernon under village, the adjoining land being mude a as all changes ot weather and from sleeping for aureed upon in the Government plan We man> months in the open air while engue,ed have anice laid out a very large sum upon the in triiversu g and exploring this country, con we Bet out and a property , have fenced mad tracted a disease which having confined him through the middle of the property, direct to his house and bed tor two tears term! from Melbourne to the contemplated village existence 1839 at the of nated his in May age ¿r>0 \\ c have subscribed townrdB building a 39 sears, leaving behind lum a iumily ot church upon the village, and various sums eight children, seven of whom are females of lor the roads We are now told there ia to be from eight to sixteen sears ol u(,e, and one no village, and that some person may get the bos seven years old village reserve 120 acres at ti per acre, lliut the property which the said John whereas we are willing to tukc a large por Batman possessed bad ut the period of his tlon of it at £20 per acre and believe that death decreased consi lerably in consequence if submitted to public auction as belore, it of his long illness and owing to a number ol would realise a much larger sum Indeed, untortunate events which have occurred within a very short time ot this date sections since his lamil) have buen entirely deprived of land round the village were readily sold at lromany benefit existing therefrom, andbuve from to ¿30 a te than ¿20 per been for more one year past without " I um also in lor merl that a gentleman baa any means ot support tendered for a section of 8J0 acres on the lour petitioners most humbly that, pray \arru immediately opposite this farm, at ¿1 in consideration ot the various and important per acre under the new regulations. services of the late lohn Batman on behalf ' My brother ana I always intended to of Ins country and in furtherance of windi purchase the land immediately opposite this he ultimately lost his life, together with the larra at any price when out up by auction in pitiable condition of your memorialists, may the usual manner, and i would now gladly induce ^ our Most Gracious Majesty to order give ¿3 000 for the section therefore, that a grant nt some portion ot the waste independently of mj own loss, the emigration lands of this district may De _iven to tunda are deprived of so much mone> them ' I your Honour will see the justice of duty, i.e. hope And na in laid 1 ' the land roserved and out font village Melbourne, Pott Phillip, July 25,1843 being sold by auction in half acre lots for a

- lhen follow the signatures villaje as originally intended riiza Willoughby late Elizabeth Batman "Land on the opposite side of the Yarra widow ot John bat 1 lien Batman Yarra being now worth so much more than man Adelaide Batman ¿1 per acre it is unluir to the colony that the I Maria Batman I'elonamena Batman same should be sold and Biter deed at that Lucy Batman John (his mark) Bat »niall price 1 h/a Batman man,agedsevenyearB Hie subsequent history of this transaction suflicient ot And these guarantees the good may be gathered from a despatch by Sir Oeo

faith - of the petition Gipps to Lord John Bussell, March 27 1841, ' statement in We knoweth made the and a reply from Lord Stanley who succeeded within to be true, and would beg humbly Lord John Russell at the Colonial Office leave to recommend to Her Most Gracious The Governor quotes the case as another Majesty s consideration the prajer ot the petitioners argument against the £1 an acre regulation "H CONDELL of the Land and > migration Commissioners Mayor of Melbourne, and Member for Mel Governor Gipps did not like the regulation,

National Library of http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6256823 with nu escort from Government would did not like regulation, Governor Gipps the lelt, 1 have no hesitation in saying, as a Mr s letter in and it I fear, and quoted Bolden support of gnovouB hardship , would have, his familiar arguments But the regulation ft very bad pflcct in leading people habitually to disregard regulations of lind alrcadv been repealed, and despatches the Government, or even the law itself were on tho water conveying that informa- "lhe necessity of moving sheep or cattle had tberefore tion Lord Stanley but to (on account of drought or want of pas write - tunige) is often most urgent, and even within ' I bave the honour to acknowledge the the last twelve months vtry extensive losses have been the district of Liver receipt ot your despatch of the ¿7th of March sustained m West of from the last \'o 81 enclosing copy of a letter ad pool Plums (north Sydney) inability of their stock in dressed to the Superintendent of Port Phillip parties to remove sufficient irom a under by Mr liol.len, a Bettler in Unit district, ou time country «uneinig less horned the subject of the new land regulations drought. Not than 10,000 head of cuttle mid JO 000 are to "Ihi. recent arrangements with regard to sheep supposed in this district, so great the future sale of land in New South Wales, have perished vet ia tlie abundance ot stock in tht that which wore communicated to sou in my pre colony of the 1st ultimo, these losses have on)) been felt as individual deceosora despatch render ' " calamities any answer to your despatch unnecessary It rather difficult for realise now And the village reserve was not selected, is us to little these existed a but the township of Heidelberg grew, and the that conditions such as less it is church, to which Mr Bolden and his brother than 50 years ago, but, indeed, possible that two contributed ¿oO, was pushed on to comple quite more than one or oltl watch their tion pioneers who kept armed in ' "OM'niANDINa IN TIIE lOllTIFS Mulray cattle camp in the forties may have all comforts of the overland lo appreciate aright the information con enjoyed the and refreshment taincd in thispapcr, itshould be read by travel- express the Murray bridge and the Adelaide lers journeying Adelaide or Melbourne ward« rooms journeying to from 1 xbibitions the eighties. while comfortably diges mg that excellent or the Melbourne in breakfast provided at the Mulray Bridge Indeed, the very Governor whose despatch referred Stanley to Sir 'Hie despatch is from Governor Gipps to Lord was bv Lord George still living health Stanley, August 11, 1842, and is in reply Gipps is and in robust who m 1841deB¡red to a communication from his lordship, lhe Captain George Grey overlander^ wherein mention is made of the troubles to have in Australia placed identical the which beset overlander, and also ot the nnder armed escort being with Sir whoso trouble they causo by aggressions on the venerable George Grey words have still hincks 'Hie Governor ot South Australia some weight in New Zeolnnd, and who struck his New Zealand had been troubled by tho hostile attitude oi Mr Troude, in island the blacks in the neighbourhood of the travels, as the onlv man in that with profitable and Murray River, nnd desired the Colonial Oflice whom he could hope to hold intercourse to issue orders companionable 1 Hutt in order to guard against a recur NhW CALEDON!!-ANOTHER VICTORIA. title renee of acts of outrage and murder on the lo justify this Mr Bouwick has un between Adelaide of Uno ol communication and earthed some very valuable documents Sydtus mensures should he taken bj tho the year 1842 In thatjear New Caledonia of rcspei tive Governors New South Wales lay to the world Captain Cook bad and South Australia to prevent the passage open it until 1853, of any parties from one colony to tho other, discovered in 1774 but the except under a competent escort to be pro date ot the French appropriation, there had the Government, but paid forby the vided by been no formal occupation by an) civilised parties escorted power P nglaud might bave had it Why Ihe New South Wales Governor, however, did she not' Because Bhe did not take was somewhat better informed as to tba » I Major Sullivan's advice general conditions und exigencies of the New Caledonia had come under the notice colonies at that time, and tua reply will be of the gallant soldier, Major Sullivan, "for meily ot the Portuguese service, but for some aa instructive to us now as it was to ' almost jears past a settler in this colony At Major then his lordship in Downing street Sullivan's earnest request, Sir George Gipps " It certainly he " that happened, says, forwards to the Colonial Office two sealed collisions in the course of the year 1841 the tlie papers, one addressed to Lord Stanley, near tlie Murray uiver were more serious this other to Sir llobcrt Pee), each a than in any other part of either colony containing the otasettle or Soutli Austruba, but their sanguinary printed prospectus tor forming I to be attributed to nature was, behcvi ment on the Island of New Caledonia. nccidenfnl rather tliiin to permanent Major Sullivan writes to Lord Stanley, Sep causes tember 7.1842 -

' ' all diffidence I A reference to my despatches of the year With due beg permission to to a of 1SJ8, ami especially to the one marked in the hand your Lordship copy a Pro for its margin (July 21 1638) will show that the ?pectus colonising New Caledonia ana ' first isles appellation of 1 he Port Phillip road was tor the two)cara hdjacent under the of Victoria,' after it waa opened extremely unsafe, and Colony in honour of our Most that some sanguinary collisions took place Gracious Sovereign " will that it has on it but posts with mounted policemen Your Lordship see been having bean established at ititi rvals along drawn up on the ancient Greek principle ot the road, travelling thencetortu became per completeness, and that it difiera from any fectly sale, and turinc the last three years no plan hitherto adoDted by modern Furope " eil I therein to aggressions ot a serious nature have been Should the ort have made committed " promote the honour ond the prosperity of the BritiBh I mpire, meet with your Lordship s And further - approbation, I humbly hope that the project "Any general regulation forbidding persons proposed will be sanctioned and patronised to move sheep or cattle from one part of this by Her Majesty's Government colony to another without being provided " I I feel that ought to present it in person with nu escort from Government would be tlie to jour Lordship, but great expense that 1 have no hesitation in saying, as a tlie clerk October 141 Bourke to jour Lordship, but great expense that 5-Gipps Ward tlie 214 Lonsdale would attend removal ot myself and Ward, 140, Latrobe Ward, , 'lotul, 774 family from hence to Lugland precludes me Ward, 240 inserted irom having that honour. I therefore "Number of persons claiming to be iri said l8 Bourke Ward, trust that you condescend to admit that cir- list-Gipps Ward, , li!, 20 cumstance as my npology for not doing it Latrobe Ward, 12, Lonsdale Ward, " In folio 20 of the proface I have stated lotnl Ul " fiO, that I shall be most happy to give my ser- Number objected to-Ginps Ward, .12, vices in any capacity towards prosecuting the Bourke Ward Latrobe Ward, 01, Lons carried 17« project in the event of its being into dale Ward, Jo lotal, effect, provided that Her Majesty should be "Number in thurevised list-Gipps Wnrd, Latrobe 20S gracioualv pleased to consider mc worth) of 121, Bourke Ward 151, Wurd, , lotal, being employed in such a great and impor- Lonsdale Ward 220 700 " election of tant undertaking Number of burgesses votnm at "Mr George Pleydall Wilton, solicitor. councillors December 1-Gipps Ward, 101, No 1 Pa.vmonds buildings, Gre) s Inn, Bourke Wnrd 117, Latrobe Ward, 172, London, will receive an) commands you may Lonsdale Ward, 180 lotal 571 elected deem expedient to honour him with upon the "Councillors December 1-Gipps subject of this letter Ward-Heur) Condell John Dixon and Ciepri'e Bourke Ward-J I 1 satisfactory reply ; Bcavor, Smith, here was, however, no tohtl Patterson, and William Kerr , Latrobu the Colonial Ofhcc regarded tlie project as Ward-Andrew Bussell, George Tames mid visionary, and BO informed the promoters I) S, C imipbcll, Lonsdale Wurd-John Orr, solicitor at Cray's Inn 'î et Sir George Gipps, Wrm H Mortimer, anti J P. 1 nwkner always clear sighted where Imperial interests 'lotnl, 12 " Aldermen elected December 0-Gipps were concerned, wrote home Bourke Ward, William " Ward, Henry Condell, lhe position of is such New Caledonia Kerr, Latrobe Wart), Andw Bussell, Lons it I think, as to render very worthy the ut dale Ward, W. G Mortimer lotnl, 4." tention of the British Government, but I And on the 9th ot December of the same feel it nevertheless, distinctly to necpssnrj, Fsquire, elected year Henry Condell, was duly disclaim any participation whatever in the ' tint Mayor, and took the necessarv oaths as projects ot Major Sullivan a magistrate before his Honour the resident indeed, the gallant lind planned And, Major judge on the IStb day oi the same month, on huge, and, as it appears, good business lines, his project in detail being "lhe formation of nn Inglish compati), under Her Majestj s sanction, with a capital of three millions sterling, to form on New Caledonia a British colony, pursuing therein trading, commercial, and agricultural trans actions, with a steam communication, via Guatemala between! nglandandAustralasia Polynesia, Ac 1 he Crown to be asked to Ïrant the company that island and the New febrideB, to constitute 'the colony of Vic ' ' tona Iruly the current in which Australian his tory has flowed came near an important change of courso juat then, and few AuBtra lians of to day will doubt that much foreign relationship and awkward complication might have been avoided had Major Sullivan s scheme been regarded as practicable lhe New Caledonia we know to day is, perhaps, the greatest menace to the welfare and true moraht) of Australasia and of the southern world Peopled with the scum and dregs of Paris and of 1 ranee, it is a radiating centre of the most pernicious influences For it must be understood that the modern Trench convict of Now Caledonia is a very different being from the average British convict of Australia s early days 1 here are no machine breakers, poachers, turnip stealers amongst the wretches who are drafted from the galleys to the transports, und finally de posited in New Caledonia Murderers, bur glars, assassins and scarcely less detestable, the irreclaimable tried and proved vagrants, the récidivistes the wretches who return to crime as tv dog to his vomit, make alas ! up that dreadful population Why, ' was Major Sullivan set aside But how near we came to losing our name through that incidont, mid how curious in the speculation-What should we have been to day had the colonists of those islands been known in the world na VictonunB* TIIL FIRM KLIC1ION IV MhLUOLRVl All old colonists will be interested in n record of the first municipal election in Mel bourne Governor Gipps s despatch to Lord Stanley, December 211, 1842 makes that record, and gives also the numbera of bur gesses in the various wards who claimed to vote, whose claims were allowed, and who actually did vote, as under - "Number returned by the collectors as bur gosses entitled to vote, handed to the town clerk October 5-Gipps Ward 141 Bourke

Latrobe 214 , Lonsdale