The first European explorers arrived in 1775 on the coast of what would eventually become British Columbia. The abundance of high quality furs brought home by the explorer Captain James Cook sparked fierce competition and a frenzy of fur-trade activity on the coast of British Columbia. Russian, British, and American companies all vied for the valuable furs.

The discovery of coal on Vancouver Island in 1835 heightened the strategic value of the area. With the imminent establishment of the 49th parallel as the international boundary between the US and British North America and the subsequent loss of Fort Vancouver in what is today the State of Oregon, the Hudson’s Bay Company, in 1842, surveyed Port Camosun (as Victoria was first labelled) with a view to establishing a new regional headquarters for its west coast based fur trade. In 1843 Fort Victoria was built and named in honour of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria.

Vancouver Island was made a Crown Colony in 1849, with Victoria as its largest city and Capital. In 1858, the discovery of gold and the subsequent deluge of prospectors on the mainland resulted in the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia. In 1866 the two colonies were merged into a single Crown Colony that established the present provincial boundaries. Originally New Westminster was chosen as the capital of the new colony of British Columbia. However, after much political haggling the designation of Capital was granted to Victoria. During British Columbia’s early years, the Crimean War and Victoria’s two excellent harbours, access to strategic coal fields, and the perceived threat of Aboriginal inhabitants saw the arrival of a military presence that continues to this day.

In 1871, with the promise of the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway within ten years, British Columbia joined confederation with Canada rather than join the United States to the south. Victoria continued as the seat of government. Victoria remained the largest city and chief industrial centre for British Columbia until the arrival of the railway into Vancouver in 1885 where, henceforth, Victoria’s chief economic base became administrative and business focused—one factor that led to the retention and preservation of much of Victoria’s old town and many original residential neighbourhoods.

In 1893 construction began on a new Legislature to replace the original wooden buildings known as the "Birdcages”. The new Rattenbury designed stone Legislature was completed four years later. Because of its formal and staid nature Victoria eventually gained a reputation as “more English than the English”. This English character became the basis for Victoria’s flourishing tourism industry, which eventually evolved to include cultural and eco-tourism. Considered one of Canada's most desirable places to live, the Capital continues to grow and attract new residents from across the country. The City has prospered in its role as Capital and is today an international tourist destination, with sophisticated modern services and a full complement of international transportation links.