Jaques is a barman, a property owner and a cyborg. Back in the year 3200, Jaques had been running the same bar in the same starport for an inhumanly long period of time. His tale was recounted in the “Stories of Life on the Frontier” booklet included with 1993’s Frontier: Elite II, wherein we learn Jaques owns half the starport and plans on taking it on a voyage across the galaxy just as soon as he buys the rest.

"I guess it will take me about another fifty years to buy up the rest of this place and another ten to fit it out with enough drive engines. I think I'll do what Augustus Brenquith did and fly off into the unknown and explore new systems. But I like people as well, so in sixty or so years time there will be an invitation going out: anyone who wants to come along can join me on a long trip.”

Twenty-two years after David Massey wrote the short story “All That Glisters...” in Stories of Life on the Frontier, Jaques is doing just that. It took a little longer than expected (the old Coriolis Station wasn’t robust enough to take the drives he wanted…) but he got there in the end.

Link : Jaques the Cyborg

Several waves of settlers have followed in the footsteps of Jaques and established themselves in Colonia region. These days more than 70 systems have been settled and more than 100 settlements can be found planetside or in space.

Link: Birth of a Colony - the early history of Colonia (Historical POI).

Colonia became a hive of activity during mid-3302 after the discovery by CMDR Cly of Jaques Station following the starports misjump to Beagle Point earlier that year. It is located on the edge of the galactic core regions, where the Near 3kpc Arm and Far 3kpc Arm converges with the Galactic Bar.

Its original designation was EOL PROU RS-T D3-94. It was added to the Galactic Mapping Project on July 1st 3302 as a POI given the (then) placeholder name of "Colonia" by CMDR's Erimus Kamzel and Diostar50. The name Colonia eventually became part of the everyday lexicon within the exploration community and subsequently was officially added to the in game map via Universal Cartographics (Frontier Developments) several weeks later, in recognition of the CCN (Colonia Citizens Network) community initiatives to help promote and colonize the region.

Links:

• Colonia Gazette - Birth of a Colony
• The Colonia Citizens Network Website
• Colonia Region System Database
• The Outlander Challenge (CCN Initiative)
• Inaugural Colonia Viper Race (CCN Initiative)
• Inspirational Journey to Colonia

When people refer to 'Colonia' it may have several meanings depending on how broadly the term is being used.

In its most narrow sense, it may refer only to the Colonia system itself - this is the star system where Jaques Station is located.

The star system has in turn given name to the nebula it is located within - the Colonia Nebula - and in a broader sense, 'Colonia' may refer to all the inhabited systems within this nebula.

July 3302 - Birth of a Colony

Colonia was humanities first independently established colony beyond the frontier borders of the old worlds. Its inception began in late June 3302 when calls from the exploration community to ship meta alloys out to the stricken starport were made, and this lead to an initiative to establish a working colony in and around EOL PROU RS-T D3-94 - an initiative instigated by Olivia Vespera, and built upon via the Jaunt to Jaques - August Exodus expedition, set up by Jonus Treesong, Unrealization, and Erimus Kamzel. The expedition became one of largest in human history with close to 600 starships in two giant convoys venturing out to the region and helping establish the colony.

The Colonia Citizens Network, founded by Erimus Kamzel, Unrealization, Qohen Leth, and Souvarine soon followed. This offered a communications hub for colonists to utilise and form their own colonial society. From this the colony grew into a hub of activity which saw almost 2,000 colonists join the network and commit to emigrating out to the region during the months that followed.

In January 3303 Erimus Kamzel returned to the old worlds at the request of CMDR Salomé (a political dissident with links to the Children of Raxxla) and stewardship of the CCN comms hub was passed to Souvarine.

{OOC} (Drew Wagar invited several faction leaders to begin preparations for an in-game event to take place in the bubble. This was the Premonition Event of April 3303, which was the conclusion of the Formidine Rift / Dynasty Conspiracy storyline, and marked the final chapter of Drew's book, Elite Dangerous: Premonition).

Due to its neutrality, Colonia was to be the final bolt-hole of Salomé had she survived the Premonition Event.

Today CCN is administrated by a new generation of Custodians and Colonia as a whole is home to many factions that have emigrated to the region and established infrastructure at many systems throughout the Colonia micro bubble.

Located within the Colonia system are the famous 'Animula Spires' - the first fungal life found in deep space. These tall spires are covered with various types of fungal growths resembling those found on Earth and other planets, apparently thriving on the volcanic warmth and minerals around the silicate vapour geysers of the area. Samples of the life have been turned over to the Colonia Counsel for examination. Pilots are encouraged to not disturb the flora as it is currently unknown how rare these life forms are or how quickly they grow. Any materials gained could be gathered the normal way via prospecting rocks that dot the planet's surface rather then destroying such a rarity.

• Orbital Body: 3 C A
• Coordinates: 47.21 / -174.16
• Type: Fungal Growth

Note: Recent visits to the site shows that all trace of the fungal life once so abundant in the canyon has mysteriously disappeared. Scientists are alarmed by this and fear that the fungus has been harvested by criminals seeking to sell it for profit.

Link: Fungal life found on Colonia 3 C A

The Mosta-Murdoch Raceway (affectionately named 'Tracky McTrackface' by the local community) was the first racing circuit mapped out and used by colonists out in the Colonia Nebula.

The raceways inaugural event, a Viper canyon race, was held on Sept. 4th 3302.

The track was designed by CMDR Mosta of the Colonia Citizens Network events team, and the inaugural event held there was won by CMDR Jadmurdoch.

Reference : Link

Video of the Race : By Maeyae

Video of the Race : By Erimus One