Indigenous Cultural Heritage and History within the Metropolitan ...

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Indigenous Cultural Heritage and History within the Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation Area Figure 1‐5: The view south from Gellibrand Hill in Woodlands Historic Park. The Melbourne CBD can be seen in the distance. Tullamarine airport is to the immediate right of this view. VEAC01 Page | 11
Indigenous Cultural Heritage and History within the Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation Area 2 Post European Contact Aboriginal History 2.1 Introduction In the period following the first contact between the Aboriginal populations of the Melbourne region and European settlers, traditional Aboriginal culture and society was severely and irrevocably impacted. From the first sporadic encounters with Europeans through to the establishment of permanent settlements, Aboriginal people began to experience changes and encroachments into their traditional territories which severely impacted a way of life that had allowed people to adapt and overcome the challenges of the preceding 40,000 years. What was to come was like nothing they had experienced before...... 2.2 Thematic History The following sections introduce a number of historic themes which cover the period from contact through to contemporary times. The discussion in each of the themes is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather serve as a series of sign posts, highlighting the nature and type of places which may exist within the wider investigation area. 2.2.1 Contact Aboriginal people had contact with Europeans in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century through random meetings with explorers and more regular interaction with early whalers and sealers. The emergence of a permanent settlement in what was to become ‘Melbourne’ began in 1835 with John Batman’s treaty with the traditional owners. Batman, acting on behalf of a group of Tasmanian entrepreneurs, who later formed the Port Phillip Association, arrived at Indented Head in May hoping to purchase land from the Aboriginal people who lived in the area (Shaw, 2003:45‐47). Batman signed two treaties in early June believing that he had bought 500,000 acres of land around Melbourne and 100,000 acres around Geelong from a group of Aboriginal leaders. The British Government, however, refused to ratify Batman’s treaties or recognise Aboriginal land ownership and instead claimed the area as Crown property. Part of the Colony of New South Wales, Governor Bourke declared the area known as the Port Phillip District open to European settlers in September 1836 (Shaw, 2003:66). Bourke appointed Captain William Lonsdale police magistrate and commandant of the new settlement. 2.2.2 Protection and ‘Civilisation’ Figure 2‐1: ‘Batman’s Treaty with the Aborigines at Merri Creek, 6th June 1835’. Painted by John Wesley Burtt, 1875, Pictures Collection. State Library of Victoria. H92.196. Lonsdale had instructions to ‘protect and conciliate’ the Aboriginal people he found in Port Phillip but Governor Bourke also decided to encourage the establishment of a government mission in the newly emerging township of Melbourne (Shaw, 2003:67). The Colonial Government appointed clergyman George Langhorne to run the mission and gave him 895 acres on the south side of the Yarra River for this purpose at an area called Tromgin VEAC01 Page | 12
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