Thank you for your nomination of John Batman's statue to be established in Federation Square. There are many interesting points made in this nomination, and so yours is one we have taken into close consideration. We have gathered more sources that show different perspectives of his life so that we can extend our understanding of Batman and whether he was the brave and selfless man that your nomination suggests.
The first source I analysed was an artist's impression of Batman's treaty with the Wurundjeri people. This appears to be in agreement with your nomination, however there are specific errors upon close inspection of this source. In this drawing the aborigines were all dressed quite differently than they would have actually been at that time, and they were all carrying spears. This could be the artist's way of making the aborigines look like savages or could be a way of trying to persuade the viewer to take Batman's side. This makes us think about how much we can really rely on Batman; if this artist was biased towards one race, or one side of the story. Also in this drawing the aborigines are all standing around Batman, and there is one elder who is signing the treaty with him. This could show that the aborigines have some kind of respect for Batman. However, this could also just be the artist's view, and so this is how he painted it.
The second source I looked at was a painting by John Wesley, which displayed similar positive characteristics as you have listed in your nomination. The painting showed both Europeans and Aborigines wearing the traditional European clothing, and some of them were even working together. This could indicate that the Europeans and the Aborigines were allies and maybe even friends. This is similar to what you have noted in your nomination about Batman, 'the first European man of his time to negotiate a land sale and sign a treaty with the Indigenous people of Australia'. This was unheard of in his time and was a very fair act of business. However, the happy, peaceful setting of the painting subtly persuades the viewer to be in favour of Batman and see the treaty as a positive event, regardless of the facts. Furthermore, this painting was created aro...