He came from one of the founding families of Western Australia and his grandson Alan Bateman created the TV soap Home and Away.

Bateman took a leading role in establishing Australian rules football in Western Australia.

A key meeting was held at Flindells Hotel in Fremantle in 1883 when a new football club was formed with Bateman as captain to play the Australian game.

On 30 March 1883 the Swans Football Club was formed which had to organise games where possible as there was no league at that time.

He dismissed opener Alfred Wilkinson for 12 and bowled future Test player Clem Hill for a duck with the ball and was then his team's second top run scorer in their first innings with 20 before Ernie Jones trapped him leg before wicket.