Incorporated as the City of Ladysmith 3 June 1904; so-labelled on BC map 2A, 1913. Re-incorporated as a Village Municipality 1 January 1958. Re-incorporated as a Town Municipality 1 January 1965; Ladysmith (Town) confirmed 1 October 1965 on C3452.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Oyster Harbour Post Office was opened 1 October 1899; changed to Ladysmith Harbour Post Office 1 January 1901. See also the municipality's own website.

Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office.

This town, which came into existence in 1900, was named 1 March 1900 by James Dunsmuir (proprietor of the neighbouring coal mines), after Ladysmith in South Africa, when he heard of the relief of that town the previous day after a long siege..... [see Walbran for further description of this Boer War event]. In turn, Ladysmith in Natal, South Africa, was founded in 1851 and named after Lady Smith, wife of Major General Sir Harry Smith, governor and commander in chief at the Cape... Lady Smith (1798 - 1872), née Juana Maria de los Dolores de Leon, lineal descendant of Ponce de Leon, the Knight of Romance, belonged to one of the oldest of the old Spanish families....

Source: Walbran, John T; "British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: Their Origin and History"; published for the Geographic Board of Canada, Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)