A look into one of Victoria’s oldest residences
Photo by Phoenix Toomath via Forger Foundation.
Overlooking the Gorge Waterway, Point Ellice House’s Italianate design “exemplifies the British Picturesque aesthetic” of the 19th century. After exploring the temporary exhibit on the animals of Point Ellice House in the Visitor Center, guests can wander the beautiful two acre gardens, home to a number of plants and flowers, and a sequoia tree planted by Peter O’Reilly.
Point Ellice House, one of Victoria’s oldest residences, was initially built in 1861 for Catherine and Charles Wallace, and was then acquired by Peter O’Reilly, chief gold commissioner for British Columbia, in 1867. It was designated as an official national historic site in 1966.
Point Ellice House was occupied by successive generations of the O’Reillys until 1975, when the family sold the home to the province. Left behind were approximately 16 000 artifacts, which became one of the largest collections from the Victorian era in Canada.
Peter O’Reilly was also an Indian reserve commissioner. As Dr. Kelly Black, historian and former executive director of Point Ellice House, explains, this fact was “all but expunged from the visitor experience for 50 years,” and it will take “that much time to untangle and repair the generational influence of these obfuscations and omissions.”
“Every job O’Reilly ever had with the colonial and provincial governments,” Black notes, “is listed on the [Point Ellice House] plaque — except for his 18 years as Indian Reserve Commissioner.”
The Vancouver Island Local History Society took over management of Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens in 2019, but on March 22, 2023, they announced its immediate closure on social media. A Facebook post stated that although they “were able to successfully weather 3 years of the pandemic and address a significant amount of deferred maintenance at the site,” they could no longer “secure sustainable funding” from the province of B.C. In May, the Forager Foundation agreed to take over as interim manager of Point Ellice House.
In an email, Bryce Watts, founder and president of the Forager Foundation, told the Martlet that “the province reached out to Forager Foundation to step in and act as temporary site manager until a long-term organization is found. We were proud that the province recognized Forager’s experience in the heritage sector, and they felt we were the right team to keep the doors open.”
Forager Foundation was founded in 2013 with the goal to “preserve and promote natural and cultural heritage.” They have implemented a number of programs including the Heritage Sites Program, which “takes on the direct management of heritage sites that hold particularly unique stories for our communities.”
Watts also shared why historic sites like Point Ellice House are important to the community.
“They remind us of where we come from and how our lives have been impacted by the lives of people that lived within these spaces and showcased different ways of life,” reads the email. “They also act as community hubs that allow students and residents a place to call their own and utilize for far more than just viewing a collection of objects.”
Forager Foundation does not intend to change the previous work done at Point Ellice House, Watts explains, but they hope to use their “expertise in program development, technology implementation, and collaboration with the wider Forager Partnership Network to increase visitor numbers, find new ways to engage with the community and work within local tourism initiatives to drive a greater appreciation of the site.”
The Point Ellice House officially reopened to the public on June 24, and is open Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Currently only the gardens and Visitor Centre are open, with the museum open by special request. They hope to open the house in August, but are looking for more volunteers. Admission to the gardens is $5 for adults, $4 for youth, and free for children under 6.
