During the 1830s, several European whaling bases were established on Banks Peninsula. In 1838 Captain Jean François Langlois, a French whaler, decided that Akaroa would make a good settlement to service whaling ships and made a provisional purchase of land in "the greater Banks Peninsula" from 12 Kāi Tahu chiefs. A deposit of commodities in the value of £6 was paid and a further £234 worth of commodities was to be paid at a later period. He returned to France, advertised for settlers to go to New Zealand, and ceded his interest in the land to the Nanto-Bordelaise Company, of which he became a part-owner. On 9 March 1840 he set sail for New Zealand with a group of French and German families aboard the ship , with the intention of forming a French colony on a French South Island of New Zealand. By the time Langlois and his colonists arrived at Banks Peninsula in August 1840, many Māori had already signed the Treaty of Waitangi (the signatories including two chiefs at Akaroa in May) and New Zealand's first British Governor, William Hobson, had declared British sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand. On hearing of the French plan for colonisation, Hobson quickly dispatched HMS Britomart from the Bay of Islands to Akaroa with police magistrates on board. While Langlois and his colonists sheltered from unfavourable winds at Pigeon Bay on the other side of the peninsula, the British raised their flag at Greens Point between Akaroa and Takapūneke and courts of law convened to assert British sovereignty over the South Island. The French colonists arrived in Akaroa Harbour on 18 August and established a settlement centred on the present-day site of Akaroa. Given that the French colonists had set out for New Zealand on the assumption that they owned the land, the New Zealand authorities made a grant of 30,000 acres to the Nanto-Bordelaise Company, which ceded all rights to the peninsula for £4,500.
during the 1830s several european whaling bases were established on banks peninsula in 1838 captain jean françois langlois a french whaler decided that akaroa would make a good settlement to service whaling ships and made a provisional purchase of land in "the greater banks peninsula" from 12 kāi tahu chiefs a deposit of commodities in the value of £6 was paid and a further £234 worth of commodities was to be paid at a later period he returned to france advertised for settlers to go to new zealand and ceded his interest in the land to the nanto-bordelaise company of which he became a part-owner on 9 march 1840 he set sail for new zealand with a group of french and german families aboard the ship  with the intention of forming a french colony on a french south island of new zealand by the time langlois and his colonists arrived at banks peninsula in august 1840 many māori had already signed the treaty of waitangi (the signatories including two chiefs at akaroa in may) and new zealand's first british governor william hobson had declared british sovereignty over the whole of new zealand on hearing of the french plan for colonisation hobson quickly dispatched hms britomart from the bay of islands to akaroa with police magistrates on board while langlois and his colonists sheltered from unfavourable winds at pigeon bay on the other side of the peninsula the british raised their flag at greens point between akaroa and takapūneke and courts of law convened to assert british sovereignty over the south island the french colonists arrived in akaroa harbour on 18 august and established a settlement centred on the present-day site of akaroa given that the french colonists had set out for new zealand on the assumption that they owned the land the new zealand authorities made a grant of 30000 acres to the nanto-bordelaise company which ceded all rights to the peninsula for £4500