Breakwater Cafe

This is the Breakwater Cafe, perched at the junction of the Ogden Point Breakwater and Dallas Road. It's a busy place year round with good food at reasonable prices, and, (below) a great view of Holland Point.

Holland Point

Late this afternoon I went for a brief drive along Dallas Road and stopped to enjoy one of my favorite coastal scenes, Holland Point. I've photographed it many times but it's always different.

Holland Point

I posted a photo of Holland Point in Beacon Hill Park a few weeks ago. It's not the first time I posted a photo of that particular spot - it's a favorite landscape of mine and I've posted a picture of it almost every year since the beginning of this blog in 2008. However, despite its unusual name I've never until today wondered how it came to be called Holland Point. A little googling led to a great little site by local historian Janis Ringuette devoted to the history of Beacon Hill Park.In an appendix she gives an extensive history of Holland Point, including how its name was given.

After extensive research, Assistant Provincial Archivist Madge Wolfenden concluded the point was named after George Holland, an undistinguished Hudson’s Bay Company employee. Holland Point was not mentioned on maps or charts before 1848, when Captain Henry Kellett’s chart of Victoria Harbour (#1897) was published. Kellett surveyed the coast in the H.M.S. Herald in 1846. Wolfenden wrote:

A study of Kellett’s charts of Victoria and Esquimalt harbours reveals that a definite plan of naming had been followed, in that the names in and about Victoria distinctly pertain to the Hudson’s Bay Company and that those of Esquimalt derive from Navy personnel. (Madge Wolfenden, “The Naming of Holland Point,” British Columbia Historical Quarterly, Vol. XVIII, Jan.-April, 1954, pp. 118)

George Holland was a seaman on the Beaver’s maiden voyage to the northwest coast in 1833-36. After serving on the Beaver and the Cadboro, he taught school at Fort Vancouver in 1939, was appointed Postmaster at Fort Langley in 1843 and then transferred to Fort Victoria in 1846. He went to London, earned a Master Mariner’s certificate and returned to serve on the Norman Morison under Capt. Wishart. After disagreements with the Captain, Holland quit and nothing further is known about his career. (Wolfenden, pp. 117-121) She found no evidence Holland distinguished himself in any field or any reason his name was selected for the point.

Dr. J. S. Helmcken, who met Holland on the ship Norman Morison, later wrote: “Holland was not much of a sailor or anything else...he and the Captain being so different did not get on well together.” (Helmcken, Reminiscences, Vol II, p. 120)

Though the name of the point is not very exciting, looking for it did lead to the Beacon Hill History site. I spent a happy afternoon browsing there and recommend it highly for anyone interested in the history of this area.

Holland Point

Saturday was warm and bright so I took a ride along Dallas Road and stopped to enjoy Holland Point though it was rather windy.

Holland Point

I went for a ride along Dallas Road recently and realized I hadn't posted a photo of Holland Point recently. Since it's one of my favorite bits of coastline in the city, here it is. Autumn's rusty color palette is definitely taking over summer's vibrant green.

Dallas Road

This is a excellent little beach just below Holland Point to enjoy the sun and sea and watch all the comings and goings from Ogden Point. While we were there for a few hours one cruise ship docked and two more appeared on the horizon. - Fern

Can You See It?

When I took the camera down from my face the gentleman visible sunbathing just left of centre in the above photo waved and pointed again. I walked over a little closer and he continued to point to the rocks just below him and then I saw something move. To the right you can see the Harbour Seal pup that had hauled itself up on the rocks to rest. Its dappled coat fits in so well with its surroundings that if it had not moved I doubt I would ever have seen it. The point of land jutting out in the above photo is Holland Point, along the shoreline below Dallas Road in the James Bay neighbourhood. The ocean is the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the mountains in the background are on the Olympic Peninsula in the USA.

Clouds on Clouds

We're having lots of this kind of weather here lately. This is unusual for Victoria which is usually much sunnier and drier. At least it's warm - I don't think we've had a freeze yet - and these clouds are beautiful even if a bit somber.

Holland Point November

These gulls at Holland Point were making a lot of noise about something in the water below them but it must have been a gull thing because there was nothing I could see.

Holland Point 2009

I can't let this season pass without a shot of my favorite bit of coastline, Holland Point. I like the sense of space in this shot, compared with the one below, taken from where that man in black is standing in the lower right corner.

Macaulay Point III

Yesterday's photo was taken from the top of Macaulay Point looking towards the northwest. Today's photo was taken from the tip of Macaulay Point looking towards the southeast and the city of Victoria. On the far right you can see the little red and white tower that is the light at the seaward end of the Ogden Point Breakwater. Just to the right of that, projecting out into the strait is another of my favorite photo locations, Holland Point.

Sunny Day

Today the clouds blew away and we had a bright and balmy afternoon so I went along to my favorite spot on Dallas Road and photographed the scene above (again! - you can see a November shot of the same place HERE.)

Holland Point November

In case you're wondering if you've seen this before, you have. Several times. It's my favorite spot to photograph. It's Holland Point on Dallas Road and I love the way it changes with the seasons and weather.

May

August

September

Holland Point September

I spent a delightful day at a community corn roast here in my neighborhood of Vic West and took a lot of photos. As soon as I decide which ones I want to use I'll post them. In the meantime, here's a shot I took this evening of my favorite bit of coastline, Holland Point. I earlier posted a photo of it taken in August from just about the same spot and one taken in May from further back. If I didn't have photographic proof I would hardly believe that the landscape could change so dramatically.

Dallas Road August

Here we are on Dallas Road again, re-visiting a small headland I photograph almost obsessively though I've only posted on it once before. Anyway, this view is taken with a polarizing filter attached to the lens and it has a wonderful effect on the water and sky - deepening the colors of both so they look more like what is seen with the naked eye. The water here is often this color but this warm-looking aquamarine color is deceptive. The water is icy.

Dallas Road

Dallas Road follows the oceanfront around most of Victoria. It is much enjoyed by joggers, walkers, cyclists and, because of the nearly constant ocean breezes, kite flyers and riders. I photograph some part of it several times each week since the ever-varying combinations of sky, cloud and water colors make for a different photo every time.