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The geographic area now known as Esquimalt was home to Indigenous peoples approximately 4000 years before the arrival of Europeans. The Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, part of the Coast Salish language group, have occupied the territory, where the Township of Esquimalt and City of Victoria are now located. The word Esquimalt is a transliteration of "Ess-whoy-malth," a phrase usually translated as "place of the shoaling waters."

Esquimalt possesses one of the finest, natural harbours on the west coast, and this fact was not lost on the Royal Navy, who established their Pacific Headquarters there in 1865. When the Royal Navy abandoned the naval base in 1905, it was revived in 1910 as the West Coast base for the newly created Naval Service of Canada [renamed the Royal Canadian Navy in 1911] and continued to play an important role – along with the Military – in the life of the community.

In 1912, the Esquimalt Village was a bustling commercial centre with hotels, general stores, Chinese laundries and machine shops surrounded by houses. In the District, Hudson’s Bay Company property was subdivided and sold, with new houses appearing throughout the area. The District of Esquimalt was defined in the letters patent signed August 15, 1912 and incorporated September 1, 1912, with the municipality to be called the Corporation of the Township of Esquimalt. Charles H. Lugrin was acclaimed as the first Reeve. One of the first items tackled by the new Council was the installation of a modern sewerage system.

Shipbuilding and repair, the major industry since 1893, continued its role as a major employer throughout the First World War, with major expansion taking place during the Second World War when Yarrow’s Shipyard built new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Merchant Marine Service. Esquimalt became a focal point of activity during the Second World War, with Pacific Command Headquarters set up at Work Point Barracks. At one point, these staging grounds held 10,000 troops and officers training before deployment. The Old Esquimalt Village was expropriated in 1941 as well as property in the Naden area when more space was needed to enlarge the military barracks.

In the post war era a light industrial zone was established in the eastern part of the municipality where access to the railway was established through spur-lines. Recreational facilities, new schools, shopping plazas and commercial development expanded throughout the 1950s to 1970s. Many large homes were lost when their property was sub-divided to build apartment complexes, and single-family residential development took place throughout the Township. Esquimalt today has a healthy mix of commercial, residential and industrial development. The almost 17,000 residents of Esquimalt enjoy a variety of amenities including schools, recreational facilities, library, archives, parks both active and passive, a golf course, beaches and green spaces.

Esquimalt is one of the core municipalities in the Capital Region District. A mayor and six councillors serve the community and Esquimalt is protected by a dedicated Fire Department and by the joint Victoria-Esquimalt Police Department.

Before incorporation, policing in the dockyard and village was carried out at different times by the Dominion Police, the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After 1912, this task was undertaken by the Esquimalt Municipal Police, the Esquimalt Police-Fire Department and the Victoria Police Department. Early police constables were also unofficially responsible for fire protection as the Fire Marshall position was held by the Police Chief. In September 1943, Council informed the Board of Police Commissioners that police officers would also be the official firefighters for the municipality. In 1957, the title Police-Fire Chief replaced Police Chief and Fire Marshall.

The Esquimalt Police-Fire Department was one of the few dual police-fires services in Canada. The force withstood many challenges from within the department and from both council and taxpayers to separate. In 1964, the police union tried to negotiate itself out of firefighting duties. Difficulties surfaced again in the late 1970s after a major fire. These difficulties were temporarily solved with more personnel and better training for all members of the department. Another change took place in the 1980s when a designated police officer with no firefighting responsibilities was authorized to serve on every shift.

In 2002, at the request of Mayor Ray Rice of Esquimalt and Mayor Alan Lowe of Victoria, the Solicitor General, the Honourable Rich Coleman announced the separation of the dual force. The policing of Esquimalt became the responsibility of an amalgamated City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt police force under the guidance of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board. Mayor Darwin Robinson of Esquimalt (newly elected in 2002) reversed a similar plan to amalgamate fire services and instead approved the formation of the Esquimalt Fire Department in 2003.

The Township of Esquimalt was incorporated and recognized as a municipality on September 1, 1912 by the letters patent. A month later in October, the first by-law, "being the By-law to provide for the appointment of a Clerk, Assessor and Collector for the for Municipality" was passed.

The Municipal Clerk's Department provides a secretariat for Esquimalt Council and its Committees. This function includes agenda preparation, the recording of official minutes, the administration and certification of Township bylaws, and the execution of all legal documents on behalf of the Township of Esquimalt and functioning as the Head of Freedom of Information. In addition, the Municipal Clerk's Department is responsible for the administration of civic and school district elections and for the conducting of public referenda.

The City Clerk's Department is now known as Corporate Services and the Municipal Clerk title has changed to Corporate Officer. The Manager of Corporate Services fills the Corporate Officer position.

The Esquimalt Municipal Archives opened officially on April 16, 1985 at its current location or 1149A Esquimalt Road. Council unanimously approved the formation of a municipal archives in 1984. They did so upon the recommendations presented by the first Esquimalt Historical Advisory Committee. When the advisory committee later dissolved, members stayed on as volunteers and the success of the archives can be directly attributed to them. A paid archivist position was also created in 1985 to manage the collections. The Archives continue to provide a safe, permanent and accessible home for municipal and private records of historical value for both the Township of Esquimalt and its residents.

The Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce was established on February 26, 1947 as a volunteer, Not-For-Profit Corporation under the Boards of Trade Act, Part 1. Since the ’40s, the Chamber has been governed by a board of volunteers who are passionate about supporting the business community in Esquimalt.