Timeline

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.