1 February 2025

I was a bit sorry to see this old monument just toppled to the ground; it happened overnight the day before Australia Day, no doubt because it was a monument to one of our ‘founders’ John Batman. I always thought he was a rather sad figure, claiming to have bought the site of Melbourne from local elders when of course they had no concept of selling land, then being gazumped by Fawkner anyway, and dying nastily of syphilis only a few years later, aged just 38. But I now read he definitely took part in at least one massacre of aboriginals in Tasmania, so maybe it should stay toppled. Or go elsewhere. It’s an odd thing in any event; he was buried in the old cemetery now under the market carpark, and not celebrated as a ‘founder’ until much later – the monument was created in 1881 to mark what was thought to be his gravesite, amongst shrubs and a few other monuments (2nd last pic). When the cemetery closed in 1922, his remains were reinterred at Fawkner cemetery where there’s another monument, and this one was moved to the north bank of the Yarra near the Swan Street bridge (last pic), then at some point – 70s ? 80s ? – moved here to the edge of the former cemetery, looking rather grim and out of place, since it is in fact a monument designed to mark a grave. It does or did have a more recent explanatory plaque but it didn’t say much. First few photos news sites and City of Melbourne, old pics via @auntyfrank Facebook.

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