Comte de Paris Descendants

Comte de Paris Descendants is a volunteer-run incorporated society dedicated to keeping families connected and preserving the history of the 33 families who arrived in Akaroa aboard the Comte de Paris in 1840. The group welcomes descendants and people researching family names associated with the settlers, including Benoit, Bernard, Bouriaud, Breitmeyer, Eteveneaux, Fleuret, Gendrot, LeLievre, Libeau, and de Malmanche.

The society helps members explore their heritage through family information, historical resources, newsletters, events, and opportunities to connect with relatives and fellow researchers. Its activities also support the protection of Akaroa’s local history. Projects have included planting spring bulbs in cemeteries, advocating for the restoration of settler headstones, and working with the Friends of the Akaroa Museum to record historic graves and share the information. The group has organised descendants’ gatherings, visits to original homes, heritage walks, and related events. Membership offers access to resources, four newsletters a year, group membership of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, and involvement in family-history events and preservation projects.