Carteret discovered the Charlotte and Gloucester Islands, and Pitcairn Island on the 2nd of July 1767; revisited the Santa Cruz group, which was discovered by Mendafia and Quiros; and discovered the strait separating New Britain from New Ireland.
He visited the New Hebrides, Santa Cruz, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, and made careful though rough surveys of the Louisiade Archipelago, islands north of New Britain and part of New Guinea.
The city is the seat of a state normal school, and has a free public library, formerly the New Britain Institute, and a public park of about loo acres.
In 1850 the township of New Britain was incorporated, and in 1871 the city was chartered.
By act of the state legislature in 1905 the township of New Britain and the city of New Britain were consolidated; the first election under the new charter was in April 1906.
