In the 19th Century, the Gorge area was one of the most fashionable neighbourhoods in Victoria. Today, all but one of the upper class, late Victorian homes on Pleasant Street have been replaced by industry. While the charactor of the area changed from posh residential to noisy industrial, the O'Reillys refused to be forced out of their original 2.2 acre property by commerce. Point Ellice House and Garden, home of the O'Reilly family for over a century (1868-1975), recalls a time when prominent Victorians came here by boat or carriage for elegant garden parties with other elite and distinguished guests.
