The MP for the Melbourne seat of Batman, John Feeney, has faced fierce criticism over his choice of Christmas card decorations this year.
The card bears an image of a painting by John Wesley Burtt which shows the Melbourne pioneer’s meeting with the Wurundjeri people at Merri Creek and the alleged signing of Batman’s treaty in 1835.
The treaty gave John Batman ownership of more than 200,000 hectares of land following negotiations with Kulin elders which he claimed had been successful.
Mr Feeney says the card was not intended to cause offence, as he believes the imagery represents an important part of Australian history.
"The significance of the Batman Treaty for all of us, but especially the Wurundjeri people, is the fact that there at this very moment in 1835 there was an acceptance that they were the Indigenous owners of the land,” Mr Feeney told SBS.
“It’s a remarkable thing to contemplate how Melbourne and indeed Australian history would be different if those Wurundjeri rights had been able to continue without being set aside by those colonial authorities.”
However, media reports say there has been criticism of the card by local Koori elders, with some labelling it as insensitive and ignorant.
Darebin Koori spokesman Alan Brown told News Corp Australia's Northcote Leader last week that the sending out of the card was a ‘rookie’s mistake’, as it represents the colonisation and dispossession of the Aboriginal peoples.
Mr Brown also says the validity of the treaty is contested, as at the time of signing, the Wurundjeri leaders did not speak English or agree with Batman’s concept of land ownership.
But Mr Feeney is standing by his choice, saying he has only had a tiny number of complaints and that overall the card has been well-received.
