Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard

Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard was a major Royal Navy yard on Canada's Pacific coast from 1842 to 1905.

The naval dockyard was located in Esquimalt, British Columbia, adjacent to Esquimalt Harbour and the city of Victoria, to replace a base in Valparaíso, Chile as the home of the Royal Navy's Pacific Station and was the only Royal Navy base in western North America.

A hydrographic survey carried out by the around 1842, determined that the location and depth of the Esquimalt Harbour would make it acceptable for use as a British naval port on the west coast of North America. The following year James Douglas went out to Vancouver Island intending to set up a trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. After looking at the shores of Esquimalt Harbour he decided they were too densely wooded for development so he opted to build what would become Fort Victoria on the shores of the adjacent Victoria Harbour and thereby establish what would become the city of Victoria. Pandora Avenue in Victoria is named in honour of the survey ship, which in turn was named after Pandora of Greek mythology.

In 1848 the arrived at Esquimalt and became the first Royal Navy vessel based there. She was commanded by Captain George William Courtenay, after whom Courtenay, British Columbia is named.

From 3 July 1850 to February 1854 Augustus Leopold Kuper was Captain of from her commissioning at HMNB Devonport. He sailed her to the...
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