John Bateman was born about 1789 in London. His first wife died in 1816 and he then married Elizabeth Sherrif with whom he had 4 children. Elizabeth was born 1817, Henry born 1818, Mary Ann 1819 and Maria 1820. His second wife died in 1821. In 1824 he married for a third time to Mary Ann Benningfield with whom he had John, Walter and Charles. Early in 1830 John, Mary Ann and their surviving children Elizabeth, Maria, John, Walter and Charles left England for the Swan River on the ship 'Medina' . A child was born at the Cape of Good Hope and Charles died before they arrived on 6th July 1830. More children were born in Fremantle. In 1831 he was granted 5 allotments in Fremantle and 4600 acres in Beverley based on the capital he brought. He first built a brick 2 storey public house and store. In March 1833, he was appointed Deputy Postmaster of Fremantle. He was also a Schoolmaster, Clerk of the Bench of Magistrates, acting Clerk of the Peace, Bailiff of the Civil Court and Assistant Harbour Master. He found it difficult to support his family finding it necessary to hold many offices. He was quoted as saying 'business has been so bad lately that for days together we do not take one shilling a day'. In July 1834 he was appointed 'Examiner of Weights and Measures'. In 1837 he was Secretary of the Fremantle Whaling Company. He was a member of Town Trust from its foundation in 1848. He held the position of Postmaster until March 1855 and died a month later. He is best known as father of the founder of J & W Bateman, merchants. His sons carried on his business that still exists to this day. Mary Ann Bateman also contributed to the life in the Colony. In 1836 she was appointed school mistress and held it for 2 years. Following the death of her husband John in 1855 she was appointed Post Mistress and held the position until December 1856 when her son Walter assumed the office of Postmaster. She returned to England in 1858. A letter to her son John in October 1858, from the home of her stepdaughter Maria, reflects on the disappointment she now felt on their decision in 1830 to settle at Swan River. Mary Ann died in 1866 in Hamburg, Germany at the home of her daughter Eliza.