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{{Short description|Third New Guinea expedition of Marquis de Rays}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=SeptemberMarch 20102024}}▼
[[Image:Derays1.jpg|thumb|right|220px|A map of de Rays' "Mythical Empire" of ''La Nouvelle France'']]
 
The '''Third de Rays Expedition''', or simply the '''de Rays Expedition''', was the third New Guinea expedition of [[Marquis de Rays]], a [[France|French]] nobleman who attempted to start a colony in the [[Oceania|South Pacific]].<ref name=KMB>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.kmb-associates.com/familysearchitalyrayhistory.htm
| title = History and Passenger Lists of the Marquis de Ray Expedition to New Ireland in 1880
Line 7 ⟶ 9:
| year = 2003
}}</ref><ref name=Satchel>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.teachingheritage.nsw.edu.au/c_buildingsection07/wc2_floriantext.htmlphp
| title = story of the Italian settlement near Woodburn, NSW
| publisher = Teaching HeritigeHeritage
| year = 2001
}}</ref> The expedition attempted to establish a colony in a place the marquis called ''La Nouvelle France'',<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=Mus1>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.new-italynewitaly.com/pages/voyage.htmlau/?page_id=32
| title = The Voyage
| publisher = New Italy Museum
| year = 20032012
|access-date = 7 January 2012
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120808162808/http://newitaly.com.au/?page_id=32
|archive-date = 8 August 2012
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> or New France,<ref name=IARP>{{Cite web
| url = http://w2.vu.edu.au/iarp/Publications/italianpioneers.html
| title = ITALIAN PIONEERS, From the forthcoming publication, The Australian People,
| publisher = Ilma O'Brien
|url-status = dead
}}</ref> which was the island now referred to as [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]]<ref name=Satchel/> in the [[Bismark Archipelago]] of present day [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name=KMB/> Three hundred and forty<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=IARP/> [[Italy|Italian]] colonists aboard the ship ''[[India (ship)|India]]'' set sail from Barcelona in 1880<ref name=Satchel/> for this new land, seeking relief from the poor conditions in Italy at that time.<ref name=KMB/> One hundred and twenty-three colonists died before being rescued by [[Australia]]n authorities. The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement existed at [[Port Breton]],<ref name=IARP/> near present day [[Kavieng]], which had numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, [[arable land]].<ref name=Mus1/>▼
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070704144927/http://w2.vu.edu.au/iarp/Publications/italianpioneers.html
|archivedate = 4 July 2007
▲}}</ref> which was the island now referred to as [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]]<ref name=Satchel/> in the [[BismarkBismarck Archipelago]] of present -day [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name=KMB/> Three hundred and forty<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=IARP/> [[Italy|Italian]] colonists aboard the ship ''[[India (ship)|India]]'' set sail from Barcelona in 1880<ref name=Satchel/> for this new land, seeking relief from the poor conditions in Italy at that time.<ref name=KMB/> One hundred and twenty-three colonists died before being rescued by [[Australia]]nAustralian authorities.{{clarify|date=April 2024}} The marquis is widely believed to have deliberately misled the colonists, distributing literature claiming a bustling settlement (with numerous public buildings, wide roads, and rich, [[arable land]]) existed at [[Port Breton]],.<ref name=IARP/> nearPort present dayBreton, [[Kavieng]]however, whichwas hadactually numerouslocated publicat buildings,the wideremote roads,south-western andcorner richof New Ireland, [[arablewhere jungle land]]covered mountains descend steeply into the sea.<ref name=Mus1/>
 
==The Paradise of New France==
[[File:La Nouvelle France 2.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Marquis De Rays]]
 
[[Image:Derays2.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Advertising material depicting colonists at Port Breton distributed in Europe in the late 19th century]]
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,<ref name=Mus1/> as a bustling new colony which had been successfully colonised by two prior expeditions. The advertising described majestic public buildings and a beautiful climate, similar to that of the [[French Riviera]]. There were also reports of great wide roads and [[arable land|arable]] farmland.<ref name=Mus1/>
 
Three hundred and forty colonists from [[Veneto]] in [[Italy]]<ref name=IARP/> 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.<ref name=KMB/> For this trade they were offered twenty hectares of land and a four-room house,<ref name=Mus1/> as well as transport to the new colony and rations amounting to six months for those who paid in gold, and five years for those who offered their labour.<ref name=KMB/> The marquis received over seven million francs for his four ill-fated expeditions.<ref name=IARP/>
 
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.<ref name=KMB/> The Royal Investigation Bureau in Milan went as far as to order a directive that no Italian involved in the expedition would be issued a passport for travel. Many colonists did not believe the authorities, and De Rays organised the voyage to depart from [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]], to avoid confrontation with the French and Italian authorities.<ref name=KMB/>
 
==The voyage==
Line 36 ⟶ 47:
 
==Settlement in Port Breton==
Upon arriving in Port Breton, the colonists discovered there was no town, settlement, or empire of New France.<ref name="slq.qld.gov.au">{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/la-nouvelle-france-nineteenth-century-propaganda|title=La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda|date=7 September 2022|authors=Stacey Larner|access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> Housing had not been built for them as promised, but they were able to salvage from the now derelict ''India'' and the remains of the two previous expeditions some three weeks supplies,<ref name=pngbd>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.pngbd.com/travel/tourism_guide_tpa/index.php
| title = New Ireland Province
| publisher = Papua New Guinea Business and Tourism
| year = 2002
| access-date = 22 June 2007
}}</ref> bricks,<ref name=pngbd/> notebooks and the makings of a mill.<ref name=pngbd/> The mill was never used, and parts of the grindstone can still be found at [[Kavieng]],<ref name=pngbd/> But the stone itself is mounted as a memorial in [[Rabaul]].<ref>{{Cite web▼
| archive-date = 24 February 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180224182222/http://www.pngbd.com/travel/tourism_guide_tpa/index.php
| url-status = dead
▲ }}</ref> bricks,<ref name=pngbd/> notebooks and the makings of a mill.<ref name=pngbd/> The mill was never used, and parts of the grindstone can still be found at [[Kavieng]],.<ref name=pngbd/> But theThe stone itself is mounted as a memorial in [[Rabaul]].<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an22703917
| title = Photograph of the Stone grinding wheel from Marquis de Rays' doomed New Ireland settlement
}}</ref>
 
Located at the feet of the [[NewVerron IrelandRange]], that area of (island)|New Ireland]] is mostly dense jungle,[[tropical rainforest]] 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 ''India'' and were unable to ward off new tropical diseases such as [[malaria]].<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=pngbd/> Starvation was also a major concern, and there were also some reports of clashes with the indigenous [[Papua New Guinea]]n population.<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=pngbd/> About a hundred settlers died in Port Breton from disease and malnutrition.<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=Mus1/>
 
After two months, a smaller previous expedition ship, the ''Genil'', was sent out in desperation from the failed colony to find food and supplies.<ref name=Mus1/> Settlers waited two more months for its return before casting off on the ''India'' to try to find a nearby colony that could house the starving refugees. There were now just over two hundred and thirty settlers remaining. InBy a strange twist of eventscoincidence, the ''Genil'' arrived back at the port on the same day the ''India'' left, but the two ships did not sight each other.<ref name=Mus1/>
 
==The voyage to Nouméa==
Settlers reportedly instructed the captain of the ''India'' to set sail for [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], but instead, the ship was sailed to [[Nouméa]] in the French colony of [[New Caledonia]],<ref name=IARP/> which was at that time a [[penal colony]]. The settlers hoped to continue to Sydney, but the French authorities declared the ''India'' unseaworthy and refused to allow it to leave port. Due to an apparent dislike of the French,<ref name=KMB/> and a desire to not reside in a penal colony, the Italians appealed to the British consul for aid. [[Sir Henry Parkes]], the [[Chief Secretary of New South Wales|colonial secretary]] of [[New South Wales]],<ref name=Mus1/> responded to their request<ref name=IARP/> and arranged travel for the settlers on the ''James Patterson''<ref name=KMB/><ref name=Mus1/> to Sydney. Two hundred and seventeen settlers remained upon arrival in Sydney.<ref name=Mus1/><ref name=IARP/>
 
==Settlement in New Italy==
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.<ref name="slq.qld.gov.au"/> The colonists found themselves in temporary accommodations for a short while, in the Old Agricultural Hall,<ref name=Mus2>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.new-italynewitaly.com.au/pages/Migration?page_id=34
| title = Migration
| publisher = New Italy Museum
| year = 20032012
|access-date = 7 January 2012
}}</ref> as a media storm swelled around them. 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.<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/> 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<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/> areas that collectively formed a {{convert|3000|acre|km2|0|sing=on}} parcel, and established the settlement of [[New Italy, New South Wales|New Italy]]<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=Mus2/> on the [[Richmond River]] near [[Woodburn, New South Wales|Woodburn]] in 1882. Many of the former colonists moved to that area.<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/>▼
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120808162631/http://newitaly.com.au/?page_id=34
|archive-date = 8 August 2012
|url-status = dead
▲}}</ref> as a media storm swelled around them. 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.<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/> 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<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/> areas that collectively formed a {{convert|3000|acre|km2|0|singadj=on}} parcel, and established the settlement of [[New Italy, New South Wales|New Italy]]<ref name=Satchel/><ref name=Mus2/> on the [[Richmond River]] near [[Woodburn, New South Wales|Woodburn]] in 1882. Many of the former colonists moved to that area.<ref name=IARP/><ref name=Mus2/>
 
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.<ref name=KMB/>
 
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
 
▲{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}
==External links==
*[http://www.newitaly.com.au New Italy Museum website]
*Blog – [https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/la-nouvelle-france-nineteenth-century-propaganda La Nouvelle France: Nineteenth century propaganda], State Library of Queensland.
*[https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/bumb4u/alma99183978086302061 La Nouvelle France : journal de la colonie libre de Port-Breton, Oceanie], 1879- 1881 – digitised Journal issued to advertise the enterprise launched by the Marquis de Rays.
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:History of Papua New Guinea]]▼
[[Category:History of French Polynesia]]
[[Category:History of Australia (1851–1900)]]
[[Category:19th century1880 in Italy]]
[[Category:European colonisation in Oceania]]
[[Category:ItalianPacific diasporaexpeditions]]
[[Category:19th century in French Polynesia]]
 
▲[[Category:History19th ofcentury in Papua New Guinea]]
[[fr:Expédition De Rays]]
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