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Eventually, they were hired out by the colony to
English-speaking families for thirty pounds a year, in an attempt to force the Italians to assimilate into Australian culture. Families were torn apart, and many of the colonists hoped to settle an area of New South Wales, as enough skilled tradesmen existed among the settlers to form an established settlement. Hearing of land becoming available in the north, some colonists surveyed and individually claimed areas that collectively formed a 3,000-acre (12 km) parcel, and established the settlement of
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A handful of Port Breton settlers resettled in Cairns, Australia but the majority settled in New South Wales, forming the settlement known as Little Italy. The colonists found themselves in temporary accommodations for a short while, in the Old
Agricultural Hall, as a media storm swelled around them.
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The governments of both France and Italy claimed the expedition was a scam, and announced they would not allow the voyage to take place, citing the safety of the
Italians. The Royal Investigation Bureau in Milan went as far as to order a directive that no Italian involved in the expedition would be
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in Italy joined the expedition, and each paid the marquis 1,800 francs in gold or were allowed the option to offer their services in labour for five years. For this trade they were offered twenty hectares of land and a four-room house, as well as transport to the new colony and rations amounting to
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took more than three months, and colonists were forced to live on board in appalling, cramped conditions. Disease and tension were rife on the ship, and ventilation and rations were in short supply, causing deaths in transit. The ship, and more than three hundred colonists, made landfall on 14
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In 1879, advertising was distributed widely throughout Europe by the
Marquis telling of a paradise empire called New France. The advertising was cleverly worded and described the capital, Port Breton, as a bustling new colony which had been successfully colonised by two prior expeditions. The
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set sail from
Barcelona in 1880 for this new land, seeking relief from the poor conditions in Italy at that time. One hundred and twenty-three colonists died before being rescued by Australian authorities. The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing
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Upon arriving in Port Breton, the colonists discovered there was no town, settlement, or empire of New France. Housing had not been built for them as promised, but they were able to salvage from the now derelict
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and the remains of the two previous expeditions some three weeks supplies, bricks, notebooks and the makings of a mill. The mill was never used, and parts of the grindstone can still be found at
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unseaworthy and refused to allow it to leave port. Due to an apparent dislike of the French, and a desire to not reside in a penal colony, the
Italians appealed to the British consul for aid.
194:. Starvation was also a major concern, and there were also some reports of clashes with the indigenous population. About a hundred settlers died in Port Breton from disease and malnutrition.
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six months for those who paid in gold, and five years for those who offered their labour. The marquis received over seven million francs for his four ill-fated expeditions.
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The settlement is now deserted, but a museum exists on the site as part of the New Italy
Visitor Centre, cafe and rest area, adjacent to the A1 Pacific Highway.
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to try to find a nearby colony that could house the starving refugees. There were now just over two hundred and thirty settlers remaining. By coincidence, the
79:. Port Breton, however, was actually located at the remote south-western corner of New Ireland, where jungle covered mountains descend steeply into the sea.
201:, was sent out in desperation from the failed colony to find food and supplies. Settlers waited two more months for its return before casting off on the
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and the settlers were unable to carve out the farmland they had been promised. Many started to fall sick after their weakening journey on the
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issued a passport for travel. Many colonists did not believe the authorities, and De Rays organised the voyage to depart from
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Advertising material depicting colonists at Port Breton distributed in Europe in the late 19th century
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590:, 1879- 1881 – digitised Journal issued to advertise the enterprise launched by the Marquis de Rays.
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literature claiming a bustling settlement (with numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich,
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advertising described majestic public buildings and a beautiful climate, similar to that of the
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524:"Photograph of the Stone grinding wheel from Marquis de Rays' doomed New Ireland settlement"
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322:"History and Passenger Lists of the Marquis de Ray Expedition to New Ireland in 1880"
241:. The settlers hoped to continue to Sydney, but the French authorities declared the
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to Sydney. Two hundred and seventeen settlers remained upon arrival in Sydney.
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48:. The expedition attempted to establish a colony in a place the marquis called
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La
Nouvelle France : journal de la colonie libre de Port-Breton, Oceanie
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437:"ITALIAN PIONEERS, From the forthcoming publication, The Australian People"
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500:. Papua New Guinea Business and Tourism. 2002. Archived from
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64:. Three hundred and forty Italian colonists aboard the ship
44:, a French nobleman who attempted to start a colony in the
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in 1882. Many of the former colonists moved to that area.
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After two months, a smaller previous expedition ship, the
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and were unable to ward off new tropical diseases such as
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52:, or New France, which was the island now referred to as
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Fifty families were sent to
Barcelona and boarded the
465:(7 September 2022) by Stacey Larner published by the
355:"story of the Italian settlement near Woodburn, NSW"
221:Settlers reportedly instructed the captain of the
213:left, but the two ships did not sight each other.
108:. There were also reports of great wide roads and
582:La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda
463:La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda
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171:. The stone itself is mounted as a memorial in
461:This Knowledge article incorporates text from
16:Third New Guinea expedition of Marquis de Rays
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229:, Australia, but instead, the ship sailed to
209:arrived back at the port on the same day the
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392:. New Italy Museum. 2012. Archived from
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115:Three hundred and forty colonists from
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149:left on 9 July 1880. The journey to
143:The voyage to New France aboard the
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634:19th century in Papua New Guinea
629:19th century in French Polynesia
619:European colonisation in Oceania
609:History of Australia (1851–1900)
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476:, accessed on 17 January 2023.
584:, State Library of Queensland.
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439:. Ilma O'Brien. Archived from
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604:History of French Polynesia
467:State Library of Queensland
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178:Located at the feet of the
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357:. Teaching Heritage. 2001.
83:The Paradise of New France
158:Settlement in Port Breton
576:New Italy Museum website
233:in the French colony of
34:Third de Rays Expedition
324:. KMB Associates. 2003.
265:Settlement in New Italy
140:bound for Port Breton.
498:"New Ireland Province"
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217:The voyage to Nouméa
58:Bismarck Archipelago
624:Pacific expeditions
504:on 24 February 2018
184:tropical rainforest
251:colonial secretary
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50:La Nouvelle France
38:de Rays Expedition
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27:La Nouvelle France
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36:, or simply the
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390:"The Voyage"
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73:arable land
54:New Ireland
598:Categories
289:References
132:The voyage
112:farmland.
557:7 January
400:7 January
272:New Italy
126:Barcelona
280:Woodburn
580:Blog –
508:22 June
474:licence
274:on the
192:malaria
169:Kavieng
56:in the
469:under
249:, the
231:Nouméa
227:Sydney
173:Rabaul
117:Veneto
110:arable
471:CC BY
278:near
243:India
223:India
211:India
207:Genil
203:India
199:Genil
188:India
165:India
146:India
138:India
67:India
559:2012
510:2007
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