2616 Pleasant Street near Point Ellice Bridge
This historic residence, built in 1861, was the home of the Honourable Peter O’Reilly. As Gold Commissioner, County Court Judge and member of the first Legislative Council of British Columbia, he was prominent during the formative years of the province. This graceful house was the O’Reilly home for more than a century, and remains as an oasis of mid-Victorian charm.
Point Ellice was named for the Right Honourable Edward Ellice (1781-1863), former member of the North West Company who was responsible for the Company's decision to unite with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821.
Peter O'Reilly was born in England if Irish parents in 1828 and came to BC in 1859 where he was appointed Stipendiary Magistrate at Fort Langley. Two years later he was Magistrate and Gold Commissioner for the Cariboo. He held similar posts during the gold rushes at Big Bend, Wild Horse Creek and the Omineca districts. O'Reilly was appointed judge for Yale in 1876 and served on the BC Legislative Council from 1864 to 1871 where he first opposed Confederation but later supported the plan after provision was made for his future. His last appointment came in 1881 when he was made Indian Reserve Commissioner.
Peter O'Reilly bought Point Ellice House (named for the point of land on which it stands) in 1867, and members of the O'Reilly family lived here continuously until 1975. No other house in Victoria has been occupied by one family for so long. Today it is a National Historic Site and is owned by the Government of British Columbia, but is managed under contract by a non-profit society. It is open to the public on a seasonal basis.
