Beban House Tourist Information (Nanaimo, British Columbia)

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Beban House was built in the early 1930s by Frank and Hannah Beban. Frank Beban travelled to San Francisco in 1906 from his native New Zealand and then north in 1907 to Canada, where he arrived in Cumberland and took a contract to cut mine timbers. He undertook a variety of work, including mule stable foreman at Extension, south of Nanaimo. He had a lumber mill at Extension, with a reported 50,000 board foot daily output. In addition, he owned the Beban coal mine, which was also situated near Extension.

In 1930, Frank Beban purchased 160 acres of property north of Nanaimo's boundaries. A previous farmhouse was on the property but was soon superceded by a new $25,000 home, now known as Beban House. Designed in a rustic style, the house is clad in unusual half-log siding and has a large front porch and a side entrance via a porte-cochère.

The Beban family lived there for over 20 years, developing lovely gardens around the house and a horse-racing track elsewhere on the property.

After Frank Beban died in the 1950s, the City of Nanaimo purchased the Beban Estate for $53,000. The City intended to use the property as the replacement for Central Sports Ground that was to become the site of Harbour Park Mall. The City developed Beban Park for recreation, with major buildings on the site. At various times, community offices, storage, and a summer children's day camp operation took up residence at Beban House. [In 1995 the City designated Beban House as a Heritage building and undertook extensive restoration. In the fall of 1996 Tourism Nanaimo relocated to the newly refurbished heritage landmark. Alterations to the grounds during this period were minor.]

Today, Beban House is a fine building, unique on Vancouver Island. The landmark presence of this house on Bowen Road gives Nanaimo one of its few tangible links with its earlier history, especially in the north end of the city.