Welcome! This is a space to share stories and information about the history of Vancouver Island, including posts from our past work as managers of Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens in Victoria (2019 to 2023). We hope you enjoy reading and that it encourages you to visit our local historic sites and maybe it […]
Welcome to the Vancouver Island Local History Blog Read More »
The Life and Times of Selina Frances Smith Selina Smith surrounded by her students, 1895. Image courtesy of the BC Archives: MS-3458 – Hamilton Smith photographs Christeah D June 2024 Selina Frances Smith (b. August 19th 1854, d. July 15th 1938) was a Black settler in Victoria who was an esteemed musician and music teacher.
Selina Frances Smith Read More »
By Dr. Patrick Dunae February 1, 2024 Moses R. Smith (1832-1896) was a Black settler in early Victoria and a prominent British Columbia business owner. At the turn of the twentieth century, the commercial bakery he established in 1858 was the largest in the Pacific Northwest. A biographical sketch of Smith, with an overview of
Black History Month: Moses R. Smith & Family Read More »
Ireland Good, Collections Assistant, Point Ellice House Museum & GardensSeptember 15, 2022 Imagine a Sunday morning at your grandparents’ house: the sun is shining through the lace curtains and the smell of pancakes wafts through the air. You have nothing to do while you wait for your breakfast, so you go exploring. You begin to
A Treasure Trove of Photographs Read More »
Taeja Liu, Visitor Experience Assistant, Point Ellice House Museum & GardensAugust, 18 2022 This summer, through my work as a summer student at Point Ellice House, I began transcribing some of the diaries of Kathleen O’Reilly (1867–1945); socialite, artist, gardener, and world traveler. I was curious about what Kathleen wrote, probably because all history nerds
Transcribing Kathleen’s Diaries Read More »
Christeah Dupont, Assistant Curator, Point Ellice House Museum & GardensApril, 8 2022 When the phone at Point Ellice House rings, it is usually someone calling to inquire about ourevents, hours, or sometimes they call asking for the meat department at Thrifty Foods (whichhappens to be one digit off from our telephone number). However there is
O’Reilly Heirlooms Return to Point Ellice House Read More »
Tim Fitzthum, Volunteer, Point Ellice House Museum & GardensMarch 29, 2022 The O’Reilly archives include many artifacts which provide a clear indication of the importance that Peter O’Reilly placed on his garden as well as his home. Peter’s diary, family letters, house accounts, seed catalogues, horticultural books, and photographs provide many examples of the time,
From Ballybeg to Point Ellice: The Trees of Peter O’Reilly Read More »
Research Compiled by Chris Hanna for Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens As part of our efforts to learn more about Charles and Catherine Wallace, for whom Point Ellice was built, we asked researcher Chris Hanna to visit the City of Victoria Archives and BC Archives. As we begin to understand more about this family
Black History Month: Augustus Christopher Read More »
Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens Point Ellice House and its past occupants are linked to the many disruptive processes of colonization that sought to replace Indigenous peoples with a settler society. On September 30th, 2021 – a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – we are taking time to acknowledge and honour the survivors,
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation Read More »
Christeah Dupont, Assistant Curator, Point Ellice House Museum & Gardens Between March 2020 and September 2021, the inside of Point Ellice House was closed to the public. During this 19-month closure, staff and volunteers were not idle: digitization, transcription, reorganization of the collection, and restoration projects took place. As part of my usual duties as
Tying the Rooms Together: Heritage Restoration at PEH Read More »
Patrick A. Dunae, Volunteer Researcher and former director of the Vancouver Island Local History Society British Columbia joined Confederation and became the sixth province of Canada on July 20th 1871. The confederation agreement was based on Terms of Union negotiated in Ottawa between the Colony of BC and the Dominion of Canada. Joseph Trutch, Peter
The Terms of Union Read More »
