Background Rodd Hill was named after John Rashleigh Rodd, First Lieutenant on under Captain
John A. Duntze. Rodd was later promoted to rear admiral in 1877; vice admiral in 1884, and admiral in 1888. He died in 1892. Guns were first installed here in 1864 to protect
Esquimalt Harbour. Britain's
Royal Navy began using Esquimalt Harbour in the 1840s, at first merely for anchorage, watering and for lumber; but the establishment of three hospital huts during the
Crimean War of 1854–1856 marked the start of what is still an active naval base of the
Royal Canadian Navy. In 1862, the Royal Navy's
Pacific Squadron was relocated to Esquimalt Harbour from
Valparaíso, Chile (where it had used floating storeships rather than built facilities ashore). This increased presence, eventually including storehouses and workshops ashore, required some form of coastal defence to deter naval attack by an enemy. This need was reinforced by the influx of American gold miners during the
Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858, and by the armed standoff of U.S. and British forces during the San Juan Islands
Pig War of 1859 and continuing tensions associated with that dispute until its resolution in 1871. On 28 June 1985 Canada Post issued 'Fort Rodd Hill, B.C.' one of the 20 stamps in the "Forts Across Canada Series" (1983 & 1985). The stamps are perforated × 13 and were printed by Ashton-Potter Limited based on the designs by Rolf P. Harder. ==See also==