Admiral Despointes formally takes possession of New Caledonia in the name of France.

Auguste Febvrier-Despointes was a French counter admiral. He served as the first commandant of New Caledonia from 24 September 1853 to 1 January 1854.

New Caledonia, is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 220 km (140 mi) southwest of Vanuatu and 1,210 km (750 mi) east of Australia. Located 16,100 km (10,000 mi) from Metropolitan France, it forms a sui generis collectivity of the French Republic, a legal status unique in overseas France, enshrined in a dedicated chapter of the French Constitution and with an on-going project to a status of State of New Caledonia.