When did the French come to Akaroa?
The French arrived in Akaroa Harbour on 18 August and established a settlement centred on the present-day site of Akaroa. Bishop Pompallier established his first European station in Akaroa in 1840 as the French immigrants were all nominally Catholic.
Who were the first Maori in Akaroa?
Maori settled here around 800 years ago, and the first European people were those involved in the whaling industry, at its peak from the mid-1830s to the mid-1840s. It was a French whaler, Jean Langlois, whose stories of the potential of Banks Peninsula for settlement inspired the Nanto-Bordelais Company to bring French settlers to Akaroa.
Where was the first French settlement in New Zealand?
AKAROA, FRENCH SETTLEMENT AT. On 2 August 1838, at Little Port Cooper, Captain Jean Langlois, a French whaler from Havre, negotiated with a number of Maori chiefs for the purchase of a portion (30,000 acres) of Banks Peninsula.
What makes Akaroa unique?
The distinctive character of Akaroa village is enhanced by the large number of well- preserved colonial buildings, in the town centre, the historic French cemetery and the French street names and French style, that runs throughout this unique seaside town.
See more
Why did the French settle in Akaroa?
In 1838 Jean François Langlois, commander of the whaling ship Cachalot, embarked on a grandiose scheme for a French colony at Akaroa. After a dubious land purchase from Māori he established the Nanto-Bordelaise Company in France in 1839 to carry out the project. King Louis-Philippe agreed to provide assistance.
Who settled Akaroa?
French settlersCanterbury's oldest town, Akaroa was founded in August 1840 by French settlers. It has been suggested that French interest in New Zealand speeded up Britain's decision to annex New Zealand. By the time French settlers arrived, the Treaty of Waitangi between the British Crown and Māori chiefs had been signed.
Where in New Zealand was the French colony of Akaroa?
CanterburyAkaroa, Canterbury, Christchurch - Canterbury Located on the south east side of the deep, sheltered Akaroa Harbour, the charming township of Akaroa has a special point of difference - it was the only French settlement in New Zealand.
Do they speak French in Akaroa?
The name Akaroa is Kāi Tahu Māori for "Long Harbour", which would be spelled Whangaroa in standard Māori. The area was also named Port Louis-Philippe by French settlers after the reigning French king Louis Philippe I....Akaroa.Akaroa Port Louis-PhilippePostcode7520Local iwiNgāi Tahu14 more rows
Where did the French first settle in NZ?
AkaroaThis week in NZ history: 17 August 1840 sees the arrival of the French ship Comte de Paris, in Akaroa on the South Island. Carrying the first French migrants, its mission was to found a settlement based on a dubious 1838 land purchase.
What is the French name for Akaroa?
Port Louis-PhilippeOn 11 December 1839 King Louis-Philippe approved an agreement whereby the Government undertook to provide transport for 80 colonists who would found a French settlement at Akaroa, now renamed Port Louis-Philippe.
What is special about Akaroa?
Akaroa Harbour is home to the Hector's dolphin. The world's rarest and smallest oceanic dolphin that's only found on the South Island of New Zealand…. along with New Zealand Fur Seals, Little Blue Penguins and an abundance of coastal birdlife.
Why did the French come to New Zealand?
Abel Tasman's voyage in 1642 aroused French interest in the South Seas, and by the 18th century French explorers were eager to seek out scientific knowledge and trading opportunities in New Zealand.
What is special about Akaroa?
Akaroa Harbour is home to the Hector's dolphin. The world's rarest and smallest oceanic dolphin that's only found on the South Island of New Zealand…. along with New Zealand Fur Seals, Little Blue Penguins and an abundance of coastal birdlife.
What is the French name for Akaroa?
Port Louis-PhilippeOn 11 December 1839 King Louis-Philippe approved an agreement whereby the Government undertook to provide transport for 80 colonists who would found a French settlement at Akaroa, now renamed Port Louis-Philippe.
Which is NZ oldest city?
By this measure, Wellington is the oldest city. An advance party of New Zealand Company officials and surveyors arrived in September 1839 and made a highly dubious land purchase from local iwi (Tonk, 1990, p. 40).
Did the French try to Colonise New Zealand?
The French were among the earlier European settlers in New Zealand, and established a colony at Akaroa in the South Island. Captain Jean-François-Marie de Surville is the first known Frenchman to have visited New Zealand, in 1769, and by the 1830s, French whalers were operating off the Banks Peninsula.
An Unexpected Visit
Akaroa was an entirely unintentional foray. After waking up slightly damp after Cayley’s roof leaked in a storm, we were unable to go “onward” past Arthur’s pass because the self containment sticker was still in the postal system – and due any day back in Christchurch.
A French Resort
Nestled in the heart of an extinct volcano, Akaroa has a french influence, a nod to an interesting past. In 1838, a passing French Captain, made a provisional purchase of the Banks Peninsula, before returning to France. When French settlers turned up at Banks Peninsula in 1840, they found that they had been beaten to it by the Brits.
Harbour Nature Cruise
We booked on a Harbour Nature Cruise with Black Cat Cruises so we could see a little more wildlife! Akaroa is situated in a natural harbour, formed by the crater of an extinct volcano.
Where did the British settle in Akaroa?
British immigrants settled in both Akaroa and German Bay ( Takamatua ), along with many German farmers, who set up dairy, sheep and cocksfoot ( Dactylis glomerata) farms. The great majority of the artifacts currently held at Akaroa Museum are of the early farming community and their way of life at the time.
What was the name of the town in Akaroa?
Before 1840, the area of the current Akaroa town was also known as Wangaloa. The French at first called their settlement Port Louis-Philippe in honour of Louis Philippe I, who reigned as King of the French from 1830 to 1848. The area still shows a French influence, prominent in many local place names.
How far is Akaroa from Christchurch?
The town is 84 kilometres (52 mi) by road from Christchurch and is the terminus of State Highway 75. It is set on a sheltered harbour and is overlooked and surrounded by the remnants of a miocene volcano. Akaroa is entirely dependent upon rainfall on the hills.
Where is Akaroa Harbour?
Akaroa Main Wharf. Akaroa is a small town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, situated within a harbour of the same name.
When did the Britomart arrive in Akaroa?
HMS Britomart arrived in Akaroa on 16 August 1840, although the captain's log shows the arrival date as 11 August. Captain Stanley raised the British flag, and held a court at each of the occupied settlements, to convince the French that the area was indeed under British control.
Where was the first whaling base in New Zealand?
The earliest European settlers used Akaroa as a whaling base. Akaroa is now one of the few whaling bases in New Zealand that still exists as a town.
Where is the Marae located?
Ōnuku marae, a marae (tribal meeting ground) of Ngāi Tahu and its Ōnuku Rūnanga branch, is located in Akaroa. It includes the Karaweko wharenui (meeting house).
What happened when the French arrived in the Bay of Islands?
When the French arrived at the Bay of Islands they discovered that the Treaty of Waitangi had just been signed, and the British had claimed the South Island a month earlier. The disappointed French carried on to Akaroa, where they began their settlement on allocated land under the watchful eye of the HMS Britomart and the suspicious looks of residents of the English town.
Who was the French explorer who took over from the French settlers from Lavaud?
Auguste Berard , who took over as commandant of the French settlers from Lavaud, is honoured in the name of a hill which overlooks the township that he helped to develop with public works.
What is the name of the bay in North of Le Bons Bay?
Maori, English and French names are not the only ones to last. North of Le Bons Bay Okains Bay has a questionable origin. A trading captain was apparently reading a book by an Irish naturalist as he passed the inlet. However, no naturalist of this name has ever been traced.
What are some of the Maori names?
Many of the descriptive names, such as Flea, Pigeon, Stony, Long, Red House and Whaler’s Bays , remain. However, some of the Maori place names have been altered, despite efforts by the settlers to preserve them. Hickory Bay is a transliteration of Waikerakikari, while the Maori settlement now known as the “Kaik”, a contraction of the South Island form for kainga, was referred to as the Caique.
Why is Bons Bay named after the first European?
Over the crater rim , Le Bons Bay is believed to have been named after the first European to land there. However, some think it means “good bay”, while it is possible the name is a corruption of Bones Bay,because the whalers used to dry out whalebone there. Maori, English and French names are not the only ones to last.
What is the name of the whale that harpooned a reef?
The French whalers are remembered in a reef dubbed the Frenchman’s Whale after the eager visitors mistakenly harpooned a reef early one morning in 1839.
Who named the crater on the South Island?
Maori place namer Rakaihautu was quick to recognise the volcanic crater’s potential as a retirement resort. After naming the lakes of the South Island, he set his digging stick at the top of the jagged crater summit, called it Tuhirangi, and lived out the rest of his days in Akaroa.
