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 It
began as a Coast Salish burial ground, then became the private residence
for a wealthy coal baron before being drafted into military service
and finally graduating as a post-secondary educational institution.
Hatley Castle and its surrounding grounds, now known as the Royal
Roads University campus, have a long and fascinating history.
You can review the colourful past of the castle and its grounds
in a wheelchair-accessible museum in the basement of the Hatley
Castle.
The museum, which opened in January 1999, has exhibits which include many photographs of graduating classes from various
incarnations of the facility, ranging from the war-time Royal Canadian
Naval College, the Royal Canadian Naval-Royal Canadian Air Force
College, the Canadian Services College and Royal Roads Military
College.
In the hallway outside the two exhibit rooms stands a horse-drawn
carriage once owned by James Dunsmuir who used it for private and
state functions. The Friends of Hatley Castle located the carriage
in a Victoria works yard in 1999 and brought it to the museum. There
are biographies of the Dunsmuir clan and many old photos showing
how life was for them in the early part of the century. Another
exhibit tells visitors about the castle architect, Samuel Maclure,
and shows the original plans for the building.Even a side-saddle
used by one of the Dunsmuir women has been brought to the museum
for visitors to see.
The museum is open daily, 10:15 - 3 pm.
There is no charge to visit the museum however donation boxes are
conveniently placed for those who want to offer financial support.
Group tours are available for a small fee.
The museum phone number is 391-2600, ext. 4456.
James
Dunsmuir 1851 - 1920
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James
Dunsmuir
c.1900
BCARS B-01949 |
James attended school in Nanaimo and Dundas, Ontario. In the
1870's he continued studies in Virginia, where he was aiming
at nothing higher than the position of mine manager. It is
in Virginia he met Laura Surles, whom he married in 1876 and
eventually brought back to Vancouver Island.
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Laura
Miller (Surles) Dunsmuir 1858 - 1937
Photo taken 1924
BCARS E-01257 |
Laura
Surles was the daughter of a North Carolina farmer, one of the most largest, prominent land owners in the region. She welcomed her husband's growing importance,
if only because it allowed her to climb British Columbia's
social ladder. James and Laura had twelve children, of which
there were three boys and nine girls.
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James Dunsmuir
Lieutenant-Governor c.1906
Detail of BCARS E-01245 |
When
first married, they lived with Robert and Joan in Fairview.
Later, James and Laura moved to their own home called Burleith.
In
1898, James Dunsmuir won election to the provincial legislative.
Two years later, during a period of political turmoil, he
agreed to serve as Premier of the province. In 1902 he resigned
the premiership, stung by charges of conflict of interest
in formulating his government's railway policies. Appointed
Lieutenant-Governor in 1906, he was an uneasy occupant of
the Vice-Regal office. The criticism he received when he refused
to give Royal Assent to anti-Oriental legislation turned to
howls of outrage when it was discovered he was recruiting
cheap Japanese labour to work in his mines
In
1908, while James was Lieutenant-Governor (1906 - 1909) he
began construction on Hatley Park on the Esquimalt
Lagoon.
James
Dunsmuir resigned from office in 1909, determined to put public
life behind him.
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T.S.S.
Dolaura - The Dunsmuir Yacht c.1910
BCARS C-03674 |
Despite his wife's social ambitions, James Dunsmuir remained
devoted to simple pleasures. He was happiest in the company
of a few male friends, fishing and bird hunting. After his
first boat, the Thistle burned to her waterline, he
ordered a fine new yacht. Built in Scotland, the Dolaura
was 218 feet long and cost more than $200,000. The Dolaura
provided the comforts of home, including a mahogany-panelled
drawing room warmed by a huge fireplace, and a dining room
capable of seating twenty-four guests. The Dunsmuirs' private
suite included a large sitting room, a bedroom, a clothesroom,
and a white-tiled bathroom equipped with Venetian marble washbasins
and sterling silver fittings. |
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