Chatham Islands Feature
Islands - Land area surrounded by water or marsh. Plural of Island. Off Oak Bay just E of Victoria, near the junction of Haro and Juan de Fuca Straits, Victoria Land District
Mapped Location
Chatham Islands: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Chatham Islands
- Feature Type: Feature
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Chatham Islands
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Chatham Islands | Official |
Origin Notes and History of Chatham Islands
References to Chatham Islands that document the origin of its place name
Adopted 1 May 1934 on National Defence sheet 415a, Victoria, as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 2689, 1861 et seq, and on BC map 2A, 1913.
Named previously to Captain Richards's survey in 1858, probably by Captain Kellett or Lieutenant Commander Wood, 1846-47, in association with Discovery Island. Discovery Island was named after Captain Vancouver's ship, and Chatham was the name of the small consort ship of the Discovery, at the time under the command of Lieutenant Broughton. The vessel was doubtless named after the Earl of Chatham, who, when Vancouver sailed from England, was First Lord of the Admiralty. The Chatham was built at Dover, and is described as an "armed tender, mounting four three-pounders and six swivels, 135 tons burthen, and sheathed with copper". She was brig rigged, and carried a crew of fifty-five all told. After Broughton returned to England in 1793, Lieutenant Puget, of the Discovery, was placed by Vancouver in command of the Chatham.
Last updated: 2026-10-14