The Rollin Art Centre history

The Rollin Art Centre occupied the house and grounds once owned by Alberni Valley pioneers Fred and Ellen Rollin.  The Rollin house was built in 1914 and was home to the Rollins from shortly after their marriage until both their deaths.

Fred Rollin worked as a boom man for Alberni Pacific Lumber Company until poor health forced his retirement in his early forties.  His wife, the former Ellen Ohlsen, came to the Alberni Valley as a schoolteacher. An accomplished musician, Ellen taught private piano lessons in her home. The Rollins were renowned for their wonderful gardens and unique plants, which they often had shipped from Victoria. The couple remained childless but enjoyed the company of nieces and nephews, as well as Ellen’s students.

Ellen died in 1944 at age 60.  Fred continued to live in the house on his own for another thirty-two years, dedicating more and more of his energy to his garden. His generosity to the community helped many local charitable organizations and businesses. Over the years he developed a particular relationship with the staff and students of the adjacent Eighth Avenue Elementary School. He often had teachers and children to his house for tea. Fred Rollin died in 1976, leaving his house and part of the grounds to the City of Port Alberni, and the remaining land to School District #70.

In 1977, the Community Arts Council negotiated with the City of Port Alberni and School District #70 to lease both properties to establish a permanent home for the arts in the Alberni Valley. At the time the Arts Council took possession of the Rollin site, the house was near derelict and the gardens had been untended for many years. With the visionary leadership of its board of directors and a dedicated volunteer base, the Arts Council rebuilt, renovated, and refurbished the building and grounds to become the Rollin Art Centre. The Centre provided a home for the Community Arts Council maintained through public and private funding, individual donations, and volunteer support, as well as revenue earned by Community Art Council programs and fund raising.

The gardens were developed in 1987–88 and were a longstanding showpiece for the community. They featured a formal garden with a hostas bed, a perennial border and rose bed, a classical fountain and elegant balustrade designed by Port Alberni resident, the late Mr. Peter Szachiv, a traditional Japanese garden – a gift from Port Alberni’s sister city, Abashiri, Japan, a terrace and gazebo modeled after Port Alberni’s first bandstand, a children’s garden and a native plant garden.

In 1995, the Community Arts Council received a gift for its permanent collection of twenty art works by Canadian artists from artist and founding President Robert Aller. The same year the Arts Council received a bequest from the estate of long time Port Alberni resident Anthony (Ty) Watson. The bequest was set aside as seed money for expansion of the Rollin Art Centre to include a gallery and storage for the permanent collection, and more space for classrooms, meetings, and special events.

The Rollin Art Centre fine arts gallery hosted eight to eleven visual arts exhibitions a year. The gallery supported local and regional artists through its exhibits as much as possible.  Roughly half the annual exhibits feature work by solo artists, and the remaining exhibits were invitational or group shows. These include an annual show exhibit by Alberni secondary schools’ students and a Christmas arts and crafts exhibit and sale.

The Gifts Shop featured a variety of local arts and crafts sold on consignment.  There were many other features, such as a Community Computer for the public to use the internet free of charge, terrace and gardens available to the public for weddings, photographs and outdoor receptions. Admission to the Fine Arts Gallery was by donation and visits to the garden are free of charge.

Photo gallery is a selection of images from our archives. Click “LOAD MORE” to continue to view more images. 

Rollin History

Fred Rollin (April 1890) and his sister Dorothy (1896) were born to James & Mrs. Surfleet Rollin, who emigrated by ship to Victoria from England. In 1900 the family moved to Port Alberni. James assumed operation of the Armour Hotel (on the corner of Kingsway and Argyle) till 1908, when they constructed their own establishment The King Edward Hotel (on the corner of First Ave and Argyle south and east).

Ellen Ohlsen Born Sept 7, 1884. Swedish parents had Oakland Nursery in Victoria, which specialized in exotic plants and shrubs. As a girl, she was taken by her mother to study music in Dresden Germany.

The grand piano used in Germany was shipped around the Horn at considerable expense. As a concert pianist she performed at the Empress Hotel in Victoria as well as at many other venues.

She lived at Fred’s family’s hotel when she first came to PA to teach at the new Alberni Public School on the corner of 3rd and Angus. There she met Fred and taught till their marriage in 1913. In 1914, they moved into the white shingled one-story home, on Eighth Avenue, built by Warnock and Cochrane contractors. This house was the 2nd of 3 identical homes built in the valley. Ellen began giving music lessons at her home on her grand piano. She had as many as 35 students.

Fred was employed as a boom man with the Alberni Pacific Lumber Company until poor health forced him to retire early. They spent time on their home and gardens, as well as hiking, traveling, and hunting. A visitor to the Rollin house after Fred’s death commented that “the home is crowded with the results of Mr. Rollin’s success with a gun. A wolverine shares space on the back of an old-fashioned couch with various other variety of wildlife.”

The Gardens

The Rollin gardens were lush with rare plants and shrubs, as well as an orchard of fruit trees. Many unique plants were collected during his travels, e.g. on his trek to Forbidden plateau and Mount Albert Edward. As well, Ellen’s family’s nursery business, Oakland Nursery in Victoria, provided them with specimens of rare and exotic plants and shrubs.

After Ellen’s death at age 60 in Oct. 27, 1944, Fred’s gardens became more of a place of solace and refuge.  He donated money to charitable institutions in the valley, as well as investing in many businesses. Having established a good rapport with the staff and students of the neighboring Eighth Avenue School, the Rollin home was a welcoming spot for afternoon tea and listening to music to staff and students alike.

Fred Rollin died March 1976 at the age of 86. In his will he bequeathed 2 of the 4 lots to the City of Port Alberni. The 3rd lot was purchased by the city from an heir. The 4th lot was left to school district #70 for the children of 8th Ave School to enjoy.
These lands were leased to the Community arts council of the Alberni Valley, whose goal it was to restore the home and property and to develop it into a community base for the arts.

Landscape architect Arne McRadu envisioned the Garden Project in 1987.
Isabelle Redford Garden (formally known as the Native Garden), Containing plants, shrubs, and trees indigenous to Alberni Valley, featuring a marble sculpture “Chinook: Keeper of our valley” by Babe Gunn

The Formal Garden/The Margaret B Smyth Garden
Large terrace, a lush lawn framed by rhodos, azaleas, roses and perennials, as well as a fountain and balustrade designed by local craftsman Peter Szachiv. Used for summer “teas on the terrace”.

The Japanese Garden In 1990 gardeners arrived from Abashiri, Japan to create a gift in commemoration of the sister city relationship with Port Alberni. It features rocks that represent mountains, hills and pebbles, azaleas, rhodos and a Japanese maple.

A replica of Port Alberni’s earliest bandstand (1914 at the foot of Argyle) was built by Rob Dom and is used for special functions like weddings and musical performances throughout the summer.  The Port Alberni Kinsmen helped to fund this feature.

Beta Sigma Phi has provided the roses in the “Garden of Memories”. Faye Marcellus established a hosta garden and Vernon Webster volunteered much time, hard work and many gifts of plants. Louise Warren, a valley pioneer, is remembered by her family with a Gingko tree.

Gavelin’s Garden, (formally known as the Children’s Garden), dedicated to the children of school district 70, as Fred would have wished. Less formal display of perennials, wildflowers, grasses and stands of bamboo under fragrant bower of cottonwood trees evoke the charm of bygone days.
Special features include:
• Sundial
• Red Bridge: Built for Ted McKay who was fondly remembered as a creative and enthusiastic individual who loved theatre music and art.
• Standing Grizzly Bear (front door): carved by Jerry Strlioff
• Bear in tree Stump (Gavelin’s Garden): carved by Junior Henderson
• Eagle (front door): carved by Dan Richey