Unveiling the Batman Memorial - 3rd June 1882

Unveiling the Batman Memorial at the Old Melbourne Cemetery; Inset: Mr William Weire - John Batman's Son-in-Law - Aged 79 and Mr Austin Batman Weire - The Grandson of John Batman
Unveiling the Batman Memorial at the Old Melbourne Cemetery; Inset: Mr William Weire - John Batman's Son-in-Law - Aged 79 and Mr Austin Batman Weire - The Grandson of John Batman
First published in Illustrated Australian News, 10th June 1882.

UNVEILING THE BATMAN MEMORIAL. 

On the 20th May, 1835, Mr. John Batman and his party arrived in Port Phillip Bay from Tasmania, and on the 3rd June following he landed on the site of the City of Melbourne. Though previous explorers had been to the colony, none had ever attempted to colonise it, and to Batman must be ascribed the honour of being the father of the City of Melbourne. He was followed by the late Mr. J. Pascoe Fawkner, in the same year, and to these two notable men Melbourne may be said to owe its existence. 

On the 3rd June, 1882, a numerous company assembled in the old Melbourne cemetery to witness the unveiling of the memorial stone erected by public subscription to perpetuate Batman's memory, where the remains of the deceased pioneer are now lying. Efforts were made to render the ceremony as effective as possible, and, as might be anticipated, there was a large gathering of old colonists, not to speak of the crowd of younger citizens, who assembled in such numbers as to almost fill the reserve. The arrangements for the occasion, were under the control of Mr. J. J. Shillinglaw, the energetic secretary to the fund, and were as complete as possible.

Among the assemblage immediately surrounding the grave were to be noticed Mr. William Weire (Batman's son-in-law), Dr. Embling, Messrs. Geo. Coppin, G. F. Belcher, Gordon A Thomson, Joseph Solomon, Robert Russell, Henry Creswick, Edmund Finn, Wm. Cumming and the Mayor of Melbourne, who, in the absence of Sir William Mitchell, chairman of the memorial fund committee, opened the proceedings by giving a history of the recent events which had led up to the present gathering. The idea, he said, of erecting a memorial to the memory of John Batman practically originated from certain remarks made by Sir Wm. Mitchell at a banquet at Kyneton. The appeal had been liberally responded to on the part of the public, and he (the Mayor) was glad to be presented see the reproach due to our neglect wiped away. 

The memorial which now stood over the grave of the departed colonist had cost altogether about £120, the shaft being of granite resting on a concrete formation, protected by light iron rails. It was designed and executed by Mr. T. W. Brown, of Carlton, monumental mason, and bore the following inscription: — 

John Batman, born at Parramatta, N.S.W., 1800.
Died at Melbourne, 6th May, 1839. 
He entered Port Phillip Heads, 25th May, 1835,
as leader of an expedition which
he had organised in Van Diemen's Land
to form a settlement, and founded one
on the site of Melbourne, then unoccupied.
This monument was erected 
by public subscription in Victoria, 
1881. 
Circumspice.

The Mayor, in unveiling the statue, gave a brief history of Batman's adventurous voyage, and drew a comparison between Melbourne as it appeared in his time and at the present day. Mr. Weire, who was present at the ceremony, and who is town clerk of Geelong, was a son-in-law of Batman, and attended with his son (Batman's grandson), the latter, when his identity was made known, being very warmly received by those who were present.

The office of hauling the flag off the memorial was performed by three old colonists, one of whom landed in 1835, and the other two in 1836, and a guard of honour from the Cerberus, under Captain Mandeville, presented arms, while the band present played the national anthem, the ceremony concluding with cheering for the Mayor.

1. - Portrait of John Batman, from a likeness supplied by his grandson. 2. - Batman's Ascent of the Yarra, 1835. - "This Will be the Place for a Village!" 3. - View of Melbourne Taken in 1839, the Year of Batman's Death.
1. - Portrait of John Batman, from a likeness supplied by his grandson. 2. - Batman's Ascent of the Yarra, 1835. - "This Will be the Place for a Village!" 3. - View of Melbourne Taken in 1839, the Year of Batman's Death.


Source: Unveiling the Batman Memorial (1882, June 10). Illustrated Australian News (Melbourne, Vic. : 1876 - 1889)

Note: High Resolution copies of the above pictures can be found at the State Library of Victoria


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