At the time Point Ellice House was built (1861), it was in a perfect location - near enough to the city, close to the water, and surrounded by other houses built by well-to-do families (about 10 to 15 dwellings). The lumber industry, transplanted from Nanaimo, had located itself very near this small enclave of wealthy families. In their writings and letters the O'Rielly's mention they were constantly plagued by the noise and dust generated by this manufacturing.
Today, Point Ellice House is one of the last houses remaining of this enclave. It is called an "oasis" by promoters because its beautiful gardens and unique architecture dramatically contrast with the twisted metal bodies of cars and old rusting refigerators, rumbling tractors and dump-trucks (which also create a great deal of dust), and general industrial and public waste. It is surrounded on all sides by industry, with only the water on one side to provide any relief. Fortunately, trees surrounding Point Ellice act as a sound barrier to this - it is only noticeable from outside the property.
The noise is likely the most noticable of distractions, yet it could actually be considered part of the interpretation of the site. Although it is a nuisance, it was always something the O'Reilly's had to put up with.
Larger concerns, in terms of conservation, is the dust and low-level rumbling caused by the industrial machinery. The dust tends to leave a fine coating on the plants and flowers in the gardens at Point Ellice, and may get into the rooms as well. A dump-truck rolling by the house actually causes low-level seismic activity; much more so than a hundred horse-drawn carriages could produce in a year! The impact of this to the house and to the artifacts is currently being measured by conservators of the site -- only time will tell what effects these problems will have.
Vandalism and security have never really been an issue at Point Ellice - those who live in Victoria generally care a great deal about their heritage. However, the neighboring bridge, Point Ellice Bridge (known to Victoria residents at the Bay Street Bridge) will always have a bit of graffiti on it. It is a main thoroughfare for traffic going to Esquimalt, and has a fair amount of foot traffic as well.
Although ghosts are never really taken seriously, paranormal researchers have indicated that the Industrial disruptions surrounding the site are one possible cause for the presence of ghosts. However, this is an added plus for the site because it adds to the folklore surrounding it.
Other issues concerning Point Ellice can be found in the Garden section. One issue to note is that the conservation of Point Ellice is an ongoing task. Another is the heritage seed program, a world-wide effort to preserve genetic diversity among plant species. New information is always being discovered, and there is plenty of work and research still left to be done on both conservation and historical aspects of the house and family.
With time, Point Ellice Historical Site can become a definitive reference of household Victoriana, and a compendium of the life and times of Early Victoria residents. Although the Industrial area surrounding it is a daily annoyance, it is another facet of the large task of conservation at Point Ellice.
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