Government House Victoria — 1903 residence
Canada → British Columbia → Victoria → 1401 Rockland Avenue
Francis Rattenbury and Samuel Maclure designed the replacement for Cary Castle. Opened in 1903, this second Government House served for 54 years before the fire of 15 April 1957. Its stone porte-cochère survived and was retained in the successor residence, opened in 1959. Parks Canada treats the estate as a cultural landscape: gardens, service buildings and the continuity of vice-regal use matter alongside the main house. The surviving entrance does not make the 1903 and 1959 residences interchangeable.
Visiting
The 1903 interiors were lost in the fire. Public access concerns the estate grounds and the exterior context of the retained porte-cochère. Gardens are free year-round; guided visits inside the current 1959 house require registration. No separate interior admission to the former residence exists.
Source review: 2026-10-31.
Official sources
Cary Castle — first Government House