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Captain James Cook spent a total of 328 days exploring the New Zealand coastline during his three voyages. The initial purpose of Cook's voyages was to observe the Transit of Venus in Tahiti and then search for a great southern continent which was believed to exist - Terra Australis.
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On 16 February 1770 Captain James Cook in his ship the Endeavour first sighted the Canterbury peninsula. He thought it was an island, and named it Banks Island after the ship’s botanist, Joseph Banks.
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The earliest records of whaling in New Zealand show that the first arrival was the whaler, William and Ann in 1791 captained by Eber BUNKER and visited Doubtless Bay, Northland, NZ. Shortly after, in 1792, the Britannia under Captain RAVEN, began sealing operations in Facile Harbour, Anchor Island, Dusky Sound.
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The first attempt at settling on the plains was made by James Herriot of Sydney. He arrived with two small groups of farmers in April 1840. Their first crop was successful, but a plague of rats made them decide to leave.
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New Zealand Company, (1839–58), British joint-stock company responsible for much of the early settlement of New Zealand. It attempted to colonize in accordance with the theories of Edward Gibbon Wakefield.
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Canterbury’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.
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The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. It takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed, on 6 February 1840. This day is now a public holiday in New Zealand. The Treaty is an agreement, in Māori and English, that was made between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs).
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The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch.
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Canterbury Anniversary Day is celebrated every second Friday after the first Tuesday in November as a regional holiday in the Canterbury Region within New Zealand.
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New Zealand’s first Constitution Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1852, setting out how the country would be governed.The Act set up a Legislative Council, or upper house, of at least 10 members to be appointed by the Crown. It also created a House of Representatives, or lower house, of 24 to 42 members elected every five years by males aged over 21 who owned or rented property of a certain value.
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Because there were still big problems getting heavy luggage from Lyttelton to Christchurch, Fitzgerald tried to get the road to Sumner by way of Evans Pass completed. In 1854 the Provincial Council agreed to give money to complete the road. On 24 August 1857 Fitzgerald finally drove his dog-cart over the road to Lyttelton. It was still a difficult road, which not many people were prepared to drive over.
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The names of these four historic ships were “Charlotte Jane,” “Randolph,” “Sir George Seymour,” and “Cressy.” Governor Sir George Grey was awaiting their arrival in the harbors of Port Cooper.