Our Collections

When the Friends of Fintry Society was formed, the Manor House and the Barn Complex were without any furnishings.    To avoid the disappointment of giving tours in an empty house, we negotiated the loan of a collection of mounted birds of prey which occupied the available space for the first two seasons.  This was followed by a loaned exhibit of paintings by Gwen Lamont and ceramic works by Bob Kingsmill.

The Red Room – Dun-Waters’ study

Our next move were to repaint all the rooms and a start was made on building our collection to re-furnish the house and barns.   Thanks are due to Ken Mather at the O’Keefe Historic Ranch who took care of many pieces originally from Fintry. These were brought back and formed the core from which the collection has continued to grow.

With the assistance of Rod Stuart and his family we were able to recover several pieces of original furniture, books and household items. The Kelowna Museum returned the surviving taxidermy specimens, notably the Kodiak bear, now the centre-piece of the Trophy Room.

Kodiak bear

Visitors today see a mix of original and recently acquired material, donated and purchased, that makes an informative tour possible. Additional objects, specially chosen, represent themes that were of interest to James Dun-Waters, such as the Yukon back pack and the original horseshoes on the interior doors.

The collection includes the Fairbridge Reference Library, with an emphasis on agriculture and horticulture.

James Dun-Waters was a man of varied interests, and his restored domain exemplifies that fascination with the world around him.

Manor House dining room