Colonialism and the Aboriginal People: John Batman’s Treaty

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Table of Contents

Brief History of Modern European Colonization throughout the World
Goals of Colonization
Implementation of Treaties – Reasons and Purposes
Colonization of Australia
John Batman’s Treaty
Conclusion
References

Colonialism is a phenomenon observed throughout the entire history of humankind. Ever since our species have appeared on this planet, we have explored, expanded, colonized and ultimately, conquered various parts of the land. These motions have determined the borders of countries and empires for many years and were always changing as those empires grew. What we are going to discuss in this paper is modern colonialism. Also known as state colonialism, it has begun in the 15th century, also known as the “Age of Discovery”, and continued up until the end of the 20th century. The focus of this paper would be the treaty between John Batman and the Wurundjeri tribe, analyzed its implications, intentions, and consequences. Comparisons will be drawn between other practices happening around the world, during the era of colonialism, in order to further understand the situation, and obtain a deeper insight into the issue.

Brief History of Modern European Colonization throughout the World

History considers that what is now known as State Global Colonization, has begun in the 15th century, with the discovery of the American continents by the explorers from Spanish and Portugal Empires.¹The world maps were far from being complete or accurate, back then. It was believed that there was no land beyond the seas, outside of Africa and Eurasia. However, the discovery of new lands, new continents launched forth a series of exploration campaigns. Bold explorers, enthralled by mystery, adventure and promises of riches that the uncharted lands were holding, were eager to sail across the oceans, and try their luck. Australia was first discovered by Willem Janszoon, at the beginning of the 17th

century, and ever since, the land has been explored by at least a dozen of other famed explorers and navigators, such as James Cook and Abel Tasman.² All the major Empires got involved in the vast colonization and expansion of their territories. Britain, Portugal, Spain, and France mainly focused on the Americas. The Russian Empire extended its reach towards eastern Asia. Australia has become a British colony, as the Empire did not limit itself to America only. It had claimed territories in Asia and Africa as well.³This rampant expansion would eventually have to end, with the colonies becoming more and more detached from the parent state, and claiming independence, once the Empires that were holding them collapsed.

Goals of Colonization

Naturally, colonization was not driven by the desire of exploration and adventure. Exploration was a dangerous task and posed many dangers. Storms, diseases, dangerous animals, pirates. What really motivated the first colonists and explorers was greed. Promises of gold and treasure, which were to be found in these uncharted lands. The Empires were motivated by the same goals. Europe was already divided between powerful nations, and attempts to seize resources and wealth there would have been met with war. However, with these newfound lands, it was only a matter of who claims them first. The Empires funded many expeditions, in hopes of claiming these lands.⁴However, as many travelers to America and Australia have soon discovered, the land was not uninhabited. Many indigenous people lived

there. Such were the Aztec and Mayans in the Americas; such were the Indian tribes and the many native tribes of Australia. The lands, technically, belonged to them. This has presented a problem for the European colonists.

Implementation of Treaties – Reasons and Purposes

Treaties with indigenous peoples of the newfound worlds have been implemented from as far as the beginning of the 16th century. Those in favor of making such treaties usually presented the case of it being a moral thing to do. Suggesting that the European colonists were coming in peace. However, these statements are false. In order to understand this, we need to remember that our contemporary views and morals on indigenous peoples are vastly different from what they were several centuries ago. They were seen as vermin to be enslaved or eradicated. As dangerous primitives that often stood in the way of the colonization efforts.

So what was the purpose of these treaties? Why didn’t the Empires simply declare war, and take what they want, by force? The natives were vulnerable both to European arms, and European diseases, which always played an important role in the colonization process.⁵ There were several answers for that. Despite the clear technological advantage of the Old World, the first colonists were extremely vulnerable, at first. They were few and far between, and their settlements were small. The native inhabitants outnumbered them by a large margin and possessed the capability of wiping them out if they wanted to. Which was why establishing treaties with them was important, as even the most primitive of tribes were capable of understanding and honoring agreements.

Fortunately, for the colonists, the natives were often very easy to persuade. Often, they would sell great amounts of land, in exchange for items that were common commodities, in the advanced western society. The most famous example of it being the purchase of the island of Manhattan by a man named Peter Minuit, who had bought the entire island for the Dutch crown, in exchange for commodities that had the value of 60 guilders. It is around 1000 dollars, in current US currency. In Australia, a similar deal was brokered between John Batman and the Wurundjeri tribe. The colonists were able to abuse their technological superiority, in order to swindle the natives into forfeiting lands to them. These ‘purchases’ allowed them to gain a foothold for their settlements.

Another purpose of such treaties was to justify the colonist claims to the newfound land before the foreign empires. These agreements and claims would be the base for diplomacy between the great European states, as they had weight. These documents served as property rights for the land, and established authority, should another European nation come to dispute it.⁶

Colonization of Australia

The process of Australia being colonized by the British had begun in the year 1791. Many of the settlers that came to Australia were convicts, which were punished for their crimes by being sent very far away, to colonize and work on Australian land, and expand the Empire’s influence through that. Many convicts died during the journey.⁷The Second Fleet was called the “Death Fleet,” due to almost 300 convict deaths, during the trip to Australia.⁸However, some of the colonists were free people, attracted to the land by the promise of riches and wealth.

By that time, the aboriginals of the land were aware of the explorers. They have welcomed them to their lands. Initially, there was coexistence between the two vastly different cultures. The native tribes were primitive, but they knew the land and served as guides to the explorers. They were also willing to barter with the settlers and exchange food and furs for tools, trinkets and other commodities that they did not have access too.

It was often this way, at the very beginning of the colonization of other countries. While the colonists were weak and few, they had to rely on the hospitality of the natives, in order to not be expelled from the lands they wished to hold. However, as settlements grew, and the colonists claimed more land, they began pushing the natives away, which resulted in retaliation, and war. Australia was not an exception, as many tribes turned hostile, once the realization of what has transpired, came upon them.⁹Unfortunately for them, at that time it was too late.

John Batman’s Treaty

John Batman’s treaty stands a bit aside from all the other treaties and deals of a similar kind, established between the natives of various lands and the European colonists. The reason for that being that the man has turned to negotiate with the original owners of the land, in order to circumvent the policies of the British colony that was already established nearby. His motivations were different from those of

other colonists to a degree. He failed to receive a grant of land for his farm business, as his request was inconsistent with the law of the land. So, instead, he chose to purchase it from the natives, and then present the treaty to justify his claim.

The reasons for such actions were mercantile, as it is unlikely that a colonist had the best interest of the natives in mind. This was made clear, once we inspect the treaty itself. For more than half a million acres of land around modern-day Melbourne, he paid with “One Hundred Pair of Blankets, One Hundred Knives, One Hundred Tomahawks, Fifty Suits of Clothing Fifty Looking glasses, Fifty Pair Scissors and Five Tons Flour”.¹⁰The treaty was signed on May 10, in the year 1835.

John Batman was on amicable terms with the natives. Before the signing of the treaty, he often employed them as guides and exchanged gifts with the tribe. For blankets, food and tools, he received baskets, furs, and primitive spears. Some could describe it as trade, or barter, but it is unlikely that John had any economic profit from it. Rather, it appears he was trying to promote good relations between himself and the tribe, so that he could exploit it, later.

It should also be taken into account that during the purchase of the land, a huge miscommunication had occurred. This miscommunication stems from the difference in how the two different cultures view the right of land property. The natives have never bought or sold land before. From their point of view, the agreement they have signed meant sharing the land with the colonists. While the European view on territory and the land suggest ownership, with all rights to the land belonging to them.¹¹

The British colonial government did not approve of John’s Treaty and declared it to be flawed. The British did not acknowledge the natives’ right to the land because they did not settle it. Such treaties were dangerous to them because they created a precedent, which contradicted their policy towards the natives. On October 1835, Governor Bourke issued a declaration, which stated that all treaties such as Batman’s were invalid. All lands currently not occupied by the colonists were to be considered to belong to the Crown anyway, thus denying any rights that any resident natives had to them.¹²

Conclusion

The purpose of the paper is to answer if John Batman’s treaty was a mutual understanding with the aboriginal people involved. In my opinion, it was not. The reason why I have presented the history of European colonization, and their treatment of the natives across the globe, was to present the core motives driving the colonists and the empires backing them up.

John Batman had his own mercantile interests in mind and was determined to make a claim of the land even when his own colonial government told him not to. He managed to swindle the Wurundjeri tribe, offering them non-substantial rewards in return for a substantial amount of land. The language barrier and differences in culture had also played their part. John Batman had exploited them, and the technological superiority of his race in order to make the natives agree to an unfavorable deal.

Even if we assume that the colonists, and John Batman, had the best intentions in their minds, these intentions were rather short-term. At the beginning of the colonization of Australia, the colonists, and the natives lived in relative harmony,

and both have benefited from the trade. However, if we look at Australia now, we could see that the minority has become the title nation. The various indigenous tribes are either extinct, or close to extinction, their culture erased, and their lands taken.¹³The Wurundjeri tribe, along with many others, had not received a compensation up to this day.¹⁴ This is where most mutual understandings with the colonists have led. Long-term coexistence between a technologically superior and a technologically inferior race is impossible, as the superior race would always, eventually, drive the inferior race away. The entire history of the colonial period is a testament to that.

References

Cooper, F., Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History, California, University of California Press, 2005.

Duncan, S., ‘The discovery of Australia: the Portuguese priority reconsidered’, Victorian Historical Journal, vol. 64, no. 1, 1997, p. 74.

‘European Discovery and the Colonisation of Australia’, 2016, Web.

Ford, L., Settler Sovereignty: Jurisdiction and Indigenous People in America and Australia, 1788–1836. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 2010.

Good, K., ‘Settler Colonialism: Economic Development and Class Formation’, The Journal of Modern African Studies, vol. 14, no. 4, 2008, p. 613.

‘Governor Bourke’s Proclamation’, 1835, Web.

Hirst, J., Convict Society and its Enemies: A History of Early New South Wales. Sydney, George Allen & Unwin, 1983.

‘John Batman Treaty Transcript’, 1835, Web.

Kenny, R., ‘Tricks or treats?: a case for Kulin knowing in Batman’s Treaty’, History Australia, vol. 5, no. 2, 2008, p. 15.

Rivera, M., ‘The Cultural Implications of European Disease on New World Populations: With Primary Focus on the Abenaki, Powhatan, and Taino Groups.’ 2013, Web.

Smidt-Novara, C., The Conquest of History, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006.

Walbert, D., Who Owns the Land? North Carolina, Learn NC, 2008.

Ward, J. M., British Policy in the South Pacific (1786–1893): A Study in British Policy Towards the South Pacific Islands Prior to the Establishment of Governments by the Great Powers. Sydney, Australasian Publishing Co, 2007.

Wolfe, P., ‘Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native’, Journal of Genocide Research, vol. 8, no. 4, 2006, p. 9.

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