<P> Batman's Treaty was an agreement between John Batman, an Australian grazier, businessman and explorer, and a group of Wurundjeri elders, for the purchase of land around Port Phillip, near the present site of Melbourne . The document came to be known as Batman's Treaty and is also considered significant as it was the first and only documented time when Europeans negotiated their presence and occupation of Aboriginal lands directly with the traditional owners . The so - called treaty was implicitly declared void on 26 August 1835 by the Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke . </P> <P> In January 1827, John Batman and Joseph Gellibrand applied for a grant of land at Port Phillip, which was at the time part of the colony of New South 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 Nineteen Counties Order . </P>

Why is batman treaty significant to the history of melbourne australia