Between the years of 1837 and 1854, much of the land on which the Queen Victoria Market now stands was the site of Melbourne's first official cemetery, which housed the remains of an estimated 10,000 early settlers, including those of John Batman.

In 1917, when that Market was extended upon much of the cemetery site, 914 bodies were exhumed and re-interred at other cemeteries around Melbourne, including Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton, and Fawkner Cemetery, which is now the resting place of the "Old Pioneers".

Most of the other 9,000 bodies remain buried beneath the existing car park. Unfortunately, there are no records of those buried there. Following its closure, the Cemetery fell into disuse and may of the red gum head stones were stolen for firewood. Official records for the cemetery were destroyed during a fire in one of the wings of the Melbourne Town Hall.

Today, the John Batman memorial is housed on the north east corner of the car park site, and a further memorial "Passage" to the 9,000 persons still buried on the site is situated on the corner of Queen and Therry Street.