The Oak Bay EncyclopediaTM
T . H . E . . E . A . R . L . Y . . Y . E . A . R . S

A listing of noteworthy
people, places and things from
Oak Bay's early years.

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Click on any letter, above, to visit specific section of encyclopedia


G

General Stores
687 St Patrick Street (...1950... phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Ghosts
Two ghost stories keep haunting Oak Bay
see Haunted House

Gibbs, P. A.
Reeve of Oak Bay (1950–1953)
Biographical material welcomed

Gibbs Road
see Street/Place Names section

Gibson, Wilfred H Jr photographer
2186 Oak Bay Avenue (...1946 phone book)
Portrait Photographer
2186 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . E mpire-0451
— ad in 1946 phone book
This space would be the home of several photography studios before its conversion to a night club — the Club Tango — in 1954.
see Hill-Tout Studios, Roye Photography
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Glen Avenue
see Street/Place Names section

Glenlyon Preparatory School for Boys
1701 Beach Drive (1935 – present day))
Boys private school, started in 1932
Major Ian Simpson began Glenlyon* School in a rented house on St. David Street in 1932. Three years later, in 1935, he purchased F.M. Rattenbury's former residence at 1701 Beach Drive and relocated the school to this seaside estate.** Major Simpson retired in 1964 and his son Hamish took over as headmaster. In 1986 Glenlyon School amalgamated with Norfolk House.
* Glenlyon is named after Major Simpson's former home on the Lyon River in Scotland.
** The purchase agreement for the building and grounds was signed one day before Rattenbury's tragic death in England.

Goblin Coffee Shop
2188 Oak Bay Avenue (1942–1953 phone books)
". . . a greasy spoon with wallpaper decorated with pictures of goblins and fantasy creatures. A pre-war jukebox moaned the hits of the day while the men in the area would drop in to chat with Buxom Betty, who provided service with a smile." 
— Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Golden Galleon Cafe
2239 Oak Bay Avenue (1951–1970... phone books)
Oak Bay's once-renowned fish & chip mecca

Click on image to see enlargement
GOLDEN GALLEON CAFE
Meals at Moderate Prices
Magazines and Smokers' Supplies
2239 Oak Bay Ave.
— ad in 1958 OBHS "Oak Leaves" yearbook
Click on the MEMORABILIA button to view or contribute recollections, photographs and artifacts

Goldsmith Street
see Street/Place Names section

Goodall, Edward
1909-1982
Oak Bay artist of international renown
Although coming from a distinguished line of important British artists, Edward Goodall was dissuaded from pursuing art by his lawyer father. Seeking experience, young Edward travelled widely (India, China, Japan, Canada) and offset expenses by selling his drawings along the way.
Arriving in Victoria he married in 1937 and sold stocks and bonds. With the outbreak of World War II he served with the Royal Engineers.
After the war he approached his art with renewed enthusiasm and published a pencil postcard series of Vancouver Island scenes that met with great success. In 1945 he purchased a beautiful home, Inchgarth, on Wilmot Place in Oak Bay and set up a studio in the coach house. From here his reputation grew.
As much of his work reached people on post cards, Christmas cards and calendars, it tended to be commercial — usually scenes of familiar buildings and places. He shifted from the pencil drawings of his earlier work to water colour in his latter work, for which he was sought out for private commissions.
Commissions from clients such as the Royal Canadian Navy, the C.P.R., the B.C. Government, the Illustrated London News and other publications allowed his work to be enjoyed by an international audience.
His original work can be found today hanging in homes worldwide.
Click here for an extended biography of Edward Goodall with an impressive sampling of his work showcased at a tribute website developed by his son Richard Goodall. It's here that you'll also see an impressive body of work by the Goodall family of artists.

Goodwin, George H decorator
2528 Estevan (...1948... phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Goodwin Street
see Street/Place Names section

"Gonzales"
St. Charles Street and Rockland Avenue
Built: 1885
Original Owner: Joseph Despard Pemberton
Although not located in Oak Bay, "Gonzales" was the home of Oak Bay's largest landowner
RBCM (A-07779)
BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1953
Joseph Despard Pemberton's 10,000 square foot home was built in 1885 at the southeast corner of St. Charles Street and Rockland Avenue. With grounds extending down to the water, the home boasted 20 rooms, five bathrooms, a conservatory, a billiards room, a writing room and a library.
"Gonzales" became the residence of Norfolk House School in 1945 but was again sold in 1950, only to sit vacant until it was destroyed by fire while being razed in 1953.

Gonzales Bay (Foul Bay, Fowl Bay)
see Street/Place Names section

Gonzales Hill
"Gonzales Hill was one of my childhood hangouts.
Paul Lawrance and I used to spend hours up there. We used to build forts and hide acorns and chestnuts around the hill to ward off attacks (quite good natured) from John Youson, Brian Wallace (Vic High) and a few others. I think Ron McMicking might have been one of John's gang.
We used to tear each others forts down, and if we were in ours when they came around we defended it by thowing the nuts at them.
A year ago our eldest son and his family were visiting Victoria at my mother's for Christmas. I took my eldest grandson for a hike up Gonzales hill and told him all about Opa's exploits when I was a little younger than he is now. I tried to show him where we hid the acorns in Walburn Park but couldn't find them because the area is now overgrown with oak trees.
So the next time any of you visit Walburn Park just to the left of the parking area you will see a lovely grove of trees which you can thank Paul and I for.
Matthew, grandson number 1, thinks I had the best place to grow up in. He lives in a massive subdivision in Edmonton with no interesting rocks or trees."
— Tom Miles, OBHS class of 1960
see Street/Place Names section

Gonzales Hill Cairn
A tribute to early navigators
RBCM (G-05338)
Profile under development

"Gonzales Farm"
Joseph Despard Pemberton's 1200-acre estate sprawled across much of south Oak Bay*
After Pemberton's death in 1893 his wife, Teresa, and family continued to live on the property until Teresa's death in 1916, after which time the house, "Gonzales," was sold and parcels of land were bequeathed to the children. Three of the children, Susan, Ada and Joseph Jr., built their homes — "Moulton Combe," "Arden" and "Wilmot House" — on Pemberton land in Oak Bay
* The Victoria Golf Club first leased a portion on this property in 1893 with the proviso that Pemberton's cows had the exclusive use of the course for grazing during the summer months.

Gonzales Point
see Street/Place Names section

Goring's Confectionery
2284 Cadboro Bay Road (1947–1949 phone books)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Gordon, M. P.
Reeve of Oak Bay (1916–1917)
Biographical material welcomed

Granite Street
see Street/Place Names section

Gravel Pits
One of Oak Bay's first priorities as a new municipality in 1906 was road building. The first pieces of equipment purchased by the Public Works department were a rock crusher and a steam roller* for constructing road beds.
There were three early municipal gravel pits:
Victoria Golf Club property
Kings Road, west of the fairgrounds
Burdick Street, opposite lots 15, 16 and 17
* This old steam roller is on display at the Forestry Museum at Duncan, BC.

Greater Victoria Nursery School
2164 Oak Bay Avenue (...1954–1959... phone books)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Greatford Place
see Street/Place Names section

Guernsey Street
see Street/Place Names section



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The Oak Bay Encyclopedia™
Contents copyright © 2004-2012 Gary Wilcox Studios Incorporated.
Selected material may be used for research and non-commercial projects with proper credit given.
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