The first European to establish a
settlement in the vicinity was British trader James Paddon in 1851. Anxious to
assert control of the island, the French established a settlement nearby three
years later in 1854, moving from Balade in the north of the island. This
settlement was initially called Port-de-France and was renamed Nouméa in 1866.
The area served first as a penal colony, later as a centre for the exploitation
of the nickel and gold that was mined nearby.
During World War II, Nouméa
served as the
