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Batman's Treaty: From Wikipedia

In January 1827, JohnBatman and JosephGellibrand applied for a grant of land at PortPhillip, which was at the time part of the colony of NewSouth Wales.

The petitioners stated that they were prepared to bring with them sheep and cattle to the value of £4000 to£5000. The application was refused, as inconsistent with the NineteenCounties Order.

By 1835, Batman prepared to sail to Port Phillip to explore the area. Gellibrand, a lawyer, prepared a draft deed for Batman to take on his trip, in case he found an opportunity to use it. The deed was for a transfer of an interest in land and provided for the payment of an annual tribute.

On 10 May 1835 Batman sailed the 23-ton schoonerRebecca from Launceston for the mainland. The expedition included master Harwood, mate Robert Robson, three seamen, seven Aboriginal men from Parramatta, outside Sydney, NewSouth Wales and three other white men, James Gumm, William Todd and Alexander Thomson. The party finally sailed into Port Phillip on 29 May 1835 after being delayed by bad weather.

On hearing a native dog howling, they landed at Indented Head to Investigate. Afte rletting his own dogs play with the native dog, they drove it into the sea and shot it.

Over the next week, the yexplored the area around the Bay, first at Corio Bay,near the present site of Geelong,and later moving up the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers at the north of the Bay.

Batman's party met with Aboriginal people several times, presenting gifts of blankets, handkerchiefs,sugar, apples and other items, and receiving gifts of woven baskets and spears in exchange.

On 6 June, Batman met with eight elders of the Wurundjeri, including ngurungaetasBebejan and three brothers with the same name, Jika Jika or Billibellary,the traditional owners of the lands around the Yarra River.

For 600,000 acres of Melbourne, including most of the land now within the suburban area, Batman paid 40 pairs of blankets, 42 tomahawks, 130 knives, 62 pairs of scissors, 40 looking glasses, 250 handkerchiefs, 18 shirts, 4 flannel jackets, 4 suits of clothes and 150 lb. of flour.

The meeting with the Aboriginal Elders took place on the bank of a small stream, which Batman described in his diary as a "lovely stream of water". Although the precise waterway and location is not given, 20th century historians suspect a likely location to have been MerriCreek, in what is currently Northcote.

Alternative locations have been suggested on the Plenty River near Greensborough, Edgars Creek, and on Darebin Creek. These were generally based on analysis of the description of the journey given in the diary. However, there have been some suggestions that the critical period in the diaries was manipulated to allow for a larger tract of country to be obtained.