John Batman - Melbourne deed, 6 June 1835

Safe 1/90

fonds

6 June 1835

455996

Microfilm : MAV/FM3/863 (Safe 1/90)
Photocopy : Photocopy of this document at MLDOC 2116
Photocopy : Photocopy of Batman deed in State Library of Victoria at D 356/3
Copy print : Photoprint of Batman deed in State Library of Victoria at MLDOC 791 and MLMSS 855/1X item 2.
Copy print : Photograph and photocopy of Batman deed in British Museum at Ab 113/1 ; photoprint of Batman deed in British Museum at MLMSS 855/1X item 1.

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

On 10 May 1835 John Batman (1801-1839) set out from Launceston to negotiate a treaty with the Aboriginal people of Port Phillip Bay in preparation for claiming an area for grazing. He returned on 11 June with two treaties, known as the Melbourne and Geelong deeds. The Melbourne deed comprised 500,000 acres which included the present city of Melbourne, the western arm of Port Phillip Bay and the city of Geelong. The Geelong deed of 100,000 acres included parts of the south coast of Victoria and the Bellarine Peninsula.

Copy of deed of grant of 500,000 acres of land in Port Phillip District by Jagajaga and others to John Batman. This document is believed to be the prototype deed drawn up by Joseph Pettingell in solicitor J.T. Gellibrand's office before Batman left for Port Phillip. In its original form it contained only the basic pro forma for the deeds. Further information was inserted, in different hands, during negotiations with Aboriginal people. Spaces for signatures are mostly blank. The signatures of the witnesses, James Gumm, Alexander Thompson and William Todd, differ from those on the copies of the Geelong deed at C 101 and C 101/2.

Information about the Batman deeds can be found in Rex Harcourt, 'The Batman treaties', Victorian Historical Journal, vol.62, nos. 3&4, Dec. 1991-Mar. 1992, pp.85-97.
Detailed notes about this document are held at MLDOC 1555.
Copies of the Geelong deeds are held at C 101 and C 101/2.
Printed copy of the Melbourne deed is bound in Dixson Library Q83/71
Manuscript copy of the Melbourne deed is bound in Dixson Library Q83/72