Rockland
Neighbourhood Association: Heritage Walking Tours
Rockland Heritage Walking Tours
Rockland is a historic neighbourhood in
Victoria, located on an escarpment overlooking Juan de Fuca Strait and
the Olympic Mountains. The Rockland area was developed in the early
1880's from a 500-acre Douglas Estate called "Fairfield Farm".
The first Governor of the Colony of Vancouver
Island, Richard Blanshard, received 1,000 acres of land known as the
"Governor’s Reserve", encompassing Rockland and Fairfield. Joseph
Despard Pemberton, the first land surveyor in the Colony, purchased the
portion of Rockland from Pemberton Road east, and Sir James Douglas,
the Colony’s second Governor, purchased the portion west from
Government House. The first subdivision plan for Rockland was
registered in 1865. Lots were large, from five to seven acre estates.
Designed to be a prestigious neighbourhood, Rockland
became known as Victoria’s ""Nob Hill". Wealthy entrepreneurs, bankers,
and politicians commissioned architects to design mansions that would
reflect their cultural values. One of the most popular architects was
Samuel Maclure (1860-1929) who had many commissions in Rockland. His
designs included Tudor revival styles with half timbering, chalet-style
homes, and shingled Arts and Crafts design. Maclure’s contemporary,
Francis M. Rattenbury (1867-1935), famous for designing the Parliament
Buildings, also designed a few residences in Rockland. Many other
well-known architects, including John Teague, Percy Leonard James,
Thomas Hooper, William Ridgway Watson and Ralph Berill also designed
homes in Rockland.
In the 1940s, a housing shortage due to the war led
to many mansions being sub-divided into apartments, a few renting as
high as $95/month. This trend has continued to this day, although
condominiums and townhouse developments are now the norm.
The walk takes you through an area with stately
mansions located in a unique Garry oak parkland. It includes the three
Rockland landmarks - Government House, Craigdarroch Castle, and the Art
Gallery of Greater Victoria. This self-guided walk features several
homes of interest designed by leading architects and builders of the
last two centuries. It also includes more modest structures, the
dwellings of the middle class. The tour starts on Linden Avenue, at the
western border of the Rockland neighbourhood, continues east along
Rockland Avenue, down a few side streets, north on Pemberton Road,
along Fort Street, south on St. Charles Street, along Rockland Avenue,
left on Terrace Avenue, a short walk to McGregor Avenue, and finally
along Oak Bay Avenue to Rockland. The final tour is of the area
surrounding Craigdarroch Castle. The entire walk may take a few hours
or can be completed in shorter walks.
The walk has been divided into 4 sections. With the first 3 tours, each
succeeding tour starts where the previous one leaves off. The fourth
tour can be reached by a short 10-minute walk from the end of tour 3.
Printable copies of the four brochures can be downloaded from here:
Tour 1
Tour 2
Tour 3
Tour 4
If you wish printed coloured copies of the tours, they are available at
City Hall and at the Hallmark Society office (18 Centennial Square) and
at some Rockland area bread and breakfasts. You can also request copies
to be mailed by sending a message to communications@rockland.bc.ca
For larger image suitable for printing click here