
1840 Timeline
Our arrival from France
1840 Landing
A timeline of events of the landing at Akaroa…
- 19 February The Aube, Captain Lavaud, leaves Brest for Akaroa where he is to be the King’s Commissioner.
- 6 March The Comte de Paris, Captain Langlois, attempts to leave Rochefort for Akaroa with the settlers, but runs aground.
- 20 March The Comte de Paris finally leaves Rochefort
- 11 July The Aube arrives at the Bay of Islands.
- 23 July The Britomart, Captain Stanley, leaves the Bay of Islands for Akaroa.
- 30 July The Aube leaves the Bay of Islands at 7 a.m. for Akaroa.
- 2 August The Comte de Paris sights New Zealand.
- 9 August Sunday. The Comte de Paris arrives at Pigeon Bay at 5 p.m.
- 10 August Monday. The Britomart enters Akaroa harbour in the late afternoon.
- 11 August Tuesday. At Pigeon Bay, Port Cooper Maori sign a confirmation of the sale of Banks Peninsula to Langlois.
- 12 August Wednesday. At Pigeon Bay, Port Cooper Maori sign a further document selling most of Canterbury and the West Coast to Langlois.
- 15 August Saturday. The Aube enters Akaroa harbour. Langlois, learning from the Pauline that the Aube is at Akaroa, sets sail from Pigeon Bay.
- 16 August Sunday. The Aube anchors off Onuku, next to the Britomart. At 5.15 p.m., when Stanley is dining on the Aube, a canoe announces the approach of the Comte de Paris. The Aube sends a boat out to meet it.
- 17 August Monday. At 11 a.m. the Comte de Paris enters Paka Ariki Bay with its 57 colonists, and anchors at 3.30 p.m.
- 18 August Tuesday. An officer and sailors from the Aube erect two sail-cloth tents for the colonists.
- 19 August Wednesday. The colonists disembark from the Comte de Paris. Families are placed in one tent, unmarried men in the other.
- 20 August Thursday. Lavaud chooses the site for the colonists’ houses.
- 23 August Sunday. The surveying of sections being completed, they are drawn by lots, first by the married colonists, then by the single men. Seven Germans agree to set up in the next bay, and two other colonists decide to settle on the hill between the two bays.
- 24 August Monday. Akaroa Maori sign the 12 August Pigeon Bay document and receive an instalment of the sale price.
- 28 August Friday. The Britomart leaves Akaroa at 6.15 a.m.
- 2 December The Comte de Paris leaves Akaroa to go whaling.