Cary Castle — first Government House
Canada → British Columbia → Victoria → 1401 Rockland Avenue
Cary Castle began in 1859 as George Hunter Cary’s private house. The colonial government acquired it in 1865 for the Governor of Vancouver Island; after Confederation in 1871 it housed British Columbia’s lieutenant governors. Fire destroyed the building in May 1899. This record concerns that first house, not the later residences erected on the same estate. Its history shows the conversion of a private property into a seat of Crown representation.
Visiting
The original house is lost: there are no Cary Castle interiors to visit. The present estate’s grounds and gardens are free to enter year-round. Tours advertised by the operator concern the current residence and require advance registration; they are not tours of the lost castle.
Source review: 2026-10-31.
Official sources
Government House Victoria — 1903 residence