Important Dates in Victoria History

1790 — On June 30, the native people of Albert Head (now part of Sooke) discovered Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper on their beach, claiming the land in the name of the King of Spain.

1842 — The Hudson Bay Company's Chief Factor, James Douglas, made a detailed examination of Sooke, Beecher Bay, Metchosin, Esquimalt and Victoria Harbours and selected Victoria  (an area then known as Camosack ) as the site for the Company's new depot.

1843 — On March 14, Douglas arrived off Clover Point and, the next day, decided to build a fort at the Inner Harbour. On Sunday, March 19, Father Jean Baptiste Bolduc, the Catholic priest who accompanied Douglas, celebrated the first mass in the area. The fort's construction began on June 4. It was called Fort Camosack and then Fort Albert before it was changed, on June 10, to Fort Victoria.

1846 — On June 15, the Oregon Treaty set the boundary with the United States as the 49th parallel to the Georgia Strait, then deflecting south, through the centre of the Strait, to the ocean.

The sawmill was constructed at Mill Stream, north of Fort Victoria.

1849 — On January 13, the British government granted Vancouver Island to the Hudson's Bay Company, with the stipulation that it must establish settlements of colonists on the island within five years. The Imperial Government of the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island was created. Fort Victoria was the capital and James Douglas took command.

1850 — On March 11, Richard Blanshard became the Island's first governor.

1852 — A townsite was laid out in streets around Fort Victoria and the name was changed to Victoria.

1858 — The Gold Rush turned Victoria into an important community through which 25,000 miners and their supplies were funneled to the gold camps.

The BC mainland became a Crown colony.

Victoria's daily newspaper, The British Colonist, was born

1862 — Victoria was incorporated as a city, with Thomas Harris as its first Mayor.

Victoria's first gas lights were erected over the front doors of saloons. Soon there were lights on poles at the most important intersections.

In September, the Tynemouth, a bride ship from England, arrived carrying 61 "well-built, pretty-looking young women, ages varying from 14 to an uncertain figure; a few (were) young widows who (had) seen better days".

1864 — The old Fort was finally demolished and the lots were auctioned off.

1865 — Esquimalt was selected as the Royal Navy's Pacific Squadron headquarters.

1866 — The colonies of BC and Vancouver Island were united under the single name of the Colony of British Columbia, with its capital at New Westminster.

1868 — The capital was moved to Victoria.

1871 — On July 21, BC entered confederation. Victoria was now the capital of the Province of British Columbia, in the Dominion of Canada.

In December, Emily Carr was born in Carr House, at the north-east corner of Government and Simcoe Streets.

1877 — Sir James Douglas, founder of Victoria and the father of British Columbia, died and was buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.

1878 —City Hall was completed.

1880 — The Victoria and Esquimalt Telephone Company installed telephone poles and the line between Victoria and Esquimalt was connected.

1882 — The Hudson's Bay Company gave Beacon Hill Park to the City of Victoria.

1886 — The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway from Victoria to Nanaimo was completed.

1887 — Victoria's first interchange telephone switchboard was installed.

1898 — The Provincial Legislature Buildings were completed.

1901 — Her late revered Majesty Queen Victoria died January 22 at Osborne, Isle of Wight.

1903 — The Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company began ferry service between Sidney and the mouth of the Fraser River, linked to its rail service between Sidney and Victoria.

1905 — The Canadian Pacific Railway began construction of the Empress Hotel.

1910 — The British government turned-over the Esquimalt naval base to Canada.

1914 — World War I began. The Patricia Bay Airport was constructed as a training site for the Allied Forces. (It continues to operate today as Victoria International Airport).

1932 — The first Sidney to Anacortes ferry, the City of Angels, completed its inaugural run.

1945 — Emily Carr died, generally unhonoured and unsung, in March.

1961 — The BC government established the BC Ferry Authority.

1963 — Victoria College became the University of Victoria and the new campus was opened.

1994 — Victoria hosted the XV Commonwealth Games.

1998 — The tourism industry in Victoria reaches the one billion dollar mark.