Dundas Island (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
Dundas Island is an island
on the North Coast of British Columbia
, Canada
, located on the west side of Chatham Sound
to the northwest of Prince Rupert
. It is the largest of a group of islands known as the Dundas Islands.
in honour of the Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas (1742–1811), Treasurer of the Navy
, 1783–1801, who was granted the title of Viscount Melville
in 1802 and also named Baron Dunira. The Dundas islands were originally perceived by Vancouver to be one island which he named Dundas's Island. Among the smaller islands of the group are Baron Island, Dunira Island, Melville Island and other small islands and islets on the west side of Chatham Sound
between Brown and Caamaño Passage
s.
Dundas Island in Nunavut
, northern Canada is also named after Dundas.
Dundas' son, Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville
is the namesake of Melville Island in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and also Melville Island in Australia, which was the site of the short-lived Fort Dundas
.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
on the North Coast of British Columbia
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located on the west side of Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound is a sound on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert, It was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, whose brother William Pitt, was later to become...
to the northwest of Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
. It is the largest of a group of islands known as the Dundas Islands.
History
The island and its archipelago were named in 1792 by Captain George VancouverGeorge Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
in honour of the Rt. Hon. Henry Dundas (1742–1811), Treasurer of the Navy
Treasurer of the Navy
The Treasurer of the Navy was an office in the British government between the mid-16th and early 19th century. The office-holder was responsible for the financial maintenance of the Royal Navy. The office was a political appointment, and frequently was held by up-and-coming young politicians who...
, 1783–1801, who was granted the title of Viscount Melville
Viscount Melville
Viscount Melville, of Melville in the County of Edinburgh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1802 for the notable lawyer and politician Henry Dundas. He was made Baron Dunira, in the County of Perth, at the same time, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
in 1802 and also named Baron Dunira. The Dundas islands were originally perceived by Vancouver to be one island which he named Dundas's Island. Among the smaller islands of the group are Baron Island, Dunira Island, Melville Island and other small islands and islets on the west side of Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound
Chatham Sound is a sound on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Stephens Islands and the Tsimpsean Peninsula near Prince Rupert, It was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver for John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham, whose brother William Pitt, was later to become...
between Brown and Caamaño Passage
Caamaño Passage
Caamaño Passage is a strait on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located between Dundas and Zayas Islands on the west side of Chatham Sound near Prince Rupert. It was named for Jacinto Caamaño, commander of the Spanish exploration ship Aranzazu which had been on this coast in 1792, by...
s.
Dundas Island in Nunavut
Dundas Island (Nunavut)
Dundas Island is a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. It is an irregularly shaped island located between Devon Island and Baillie-Hamilton Island...
, northern Canada is also named after Dundas.
Dundas' son, Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville
Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville
Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville KT, PC, FRS was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800...
is the namesake of Melville Island in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and also Melville Island in Australia, which was the site of the short-lived Fort Dundas
Fort Dundas
Fort Dundas was a short lived British settlement on Melville Island between 1824 and 1828 in what is now the Northern Territory of Australia. The establishment of the settlement caused the border of New South Wales to be moved west from the 135th meridian to the Western Australia border .The...
.