126 



The Review of Reviews. 



August 1, 1906. 





Unveiling the Batman Memorial at the Old Melbourne Cemetery. 



buting to them clothing and food. He has been 

 one of the few who supposed that these wretched 

 people might be influenced by kindness, and was, 

 with his family, most assiduous in cultivating the 

 best understanding with them.'' 



But Batman's intense energy could not find in 

 Tasmania a wide enough field. With Wedge, the 

 Assistant Surveyor-General, he discussed the ques- 

 tion of Australasian Exploration. They communi- 

 cated to the Governor their willingness to explore the 

 mainland from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Sydney. 

 The Governor's promise to inform the Secretary of 

 State of this was not kept. 



Prior to this Batman and Wedge had talked about 

 settlement in Port Phillip. When it was known in 

 Tasmania that a Government settlement was to be 

 formed at Western Port, Batman and Gellibrand ap- 

 plied in vain to the New South Wales Government 

 tor permission to settle there. 



Information derived from his old schoolfellow, 

 Hamilton Hume, as to the suitabilit}- of the land he 

 had seen in his journey of exploration for cattle 

 and sheep, intensified Batman's wish to settle on the 

 land round Port Phillip. A number of leading Tas- 

 manian residents agreed to form an association, ulti- 

 mately called the Port Phillip Association. 



