More Than Just “The Wife Of…” - The Chatelaines of Government House 1851-2012

Nancy Kostyrka, a retired teacher, has been a resident of Victoria for the past 42 years.  Since retirement she has been able to pursued her passion for history, especially British Columbia history, full time.  A keen interest in the history of Victoria and of Government House led her to join the Friends of Government House Gardening Society in 2022.  As a volunteer with the Costume Museum of Government House she conducted extensive research on all 32 Chatelaines for their Summer 2024  exhibit “More Than Just ‘The Wife Of…’ “.  She was able to share some of her research while leading a tour of the graves of Government House Chatelaines at Ross Bay Cemetery last year.  Currently a member of the volunteer team working in the Government House Archives, she is looking forward to publishing a book about the fascinating Chatelaines of Government House.                                                                          

More Than Just “The Wife Of…” - The Chatelaines of Government House 1851-2012

A wealth of information is available about the Lieutenant Governors of British Columbia but the stories of the Chatelaines, especially before and after their time at Government House, have rarely been told.  Thirty two women have taken on the role of Government House Chatelaine in Victoria.  Nancy will share the stories of some of these remarkable women.  Their lives span the years from 1812 to the present day.  They were all women of their time who rose to the challenges of whatever life handed them.  As you will see, they deserve to be know for being more than just “the wife of…”.