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Description:
Merston family members in the garden of their home at 1159 Beach Drive (formerly 'Bongate', previous address 581 Beach Drive), next to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Former family home of William E Oliver (first Reeve of Oak Bay). Built 1902, demolished ca. 1960 for Hampshire House Apartments. Major William Charles Merston (1884-1962) built the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in 1927 (first advertised as the 'Marine Drive Hotel',) rebuilt after a fire in 1930, and managed it while living there with his family until they sold it in1946. They then moved to the neighbouring house at 1159 Beach Drive . For more information about WC Merston, see JF Bosher, Imperial Vancouver Island, p.494. The original print of this photograph is privately owned and not accessible at Oak Bay Archives. Oak Bay Archives hosts this image by permission of the owner, for reference purposes only.
Merston family members in the garden of their home at 1159 Beach Drive (formerly 'Bongate', previous address 581 Beach Drive), next to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Former family home of William E Oliver (first Reeve of Oak Bay). Built 1902, demolished ca. 1960 for Hampshire House Apartments. Major William Charles Merston (1884-1962) built the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in 1927 (first advertised as the 'Marine Drive Hotel',) rebuilt after a fire in 1930, and managed it while living there with his family until they sold it in1946. They then moved to the neighbouring house at 1159 Beach Drive . For more information about WC Merston, see JF Bosher, Imperial Vancouver Island, p.494. The original print of this photograph is privately owned and not accessible at Oak Bay Archives. Oak Bay Archives hosts this image by permission of the owner, for reference purposes only.