Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse

Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse, also known as Tiritiri Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on Tiritiri Matangi, an island in the Hauraki Gulf 28 km north of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by Maritime New Zealand. It is considered the best-preserved lighthouse complex in the country,[3] and is the oldest lighthouse in New Zealand still in operation.[1] It was once the most powerful lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere.[4]

Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse
The lighthouse in 2010
New Zealand
LocationTiritiri Matangi
North Island
New Zealand
Coordinates36°36′20.4″S 174°53′50.8″E
Year first constructed1864
Year first lit1865
Automated1925 (1st), 1984 (2nd)[1]
Constructioncast iron tower[1]
Tower shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower, black lantern roof
Tower height20 metres (66 ft)[1]
Focal height91 metres (299 ft)[1]
Light sourcesolar power
Range18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)[1]
CharacteristicFL W 15s
Admiralty numberK3740
NGA number4028
ARLHS numberNZL-054
Managing agentDepartment of Conservation[2]
HeritageNZHPT Category I listing 

History

Constructed in 1864[3] from cast iron, the light was first lit on 1 January 1865. The light was first automated in 1925 and used an acetylene burning revolving light. Keepers returned to the light in 1947 and it remained manned until 1984 when the light was fully automated. The light's last keeper, Ray Walter, remained on the island working with his wife Barbara as Department of Conservation rangers until their retirement in 2006.[1][5]

The lighthouse along with the nearby visitor centre is a popular destination, although the light itself is not open to the public.[1] The building has a Category I listing with Heritage New Zealand.[6]

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See also

References
  1. "Tiritiri Matangi". Maritime New Zealand. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of New Zealand: North Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  3. "Auckland Places – Tiritiri Matangi Island". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Government of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  4. "The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald. 3 March 2010. p. 8.
  5. "Dawn Chorus Bulletin 66" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2007. (0.99 MiB), August 2006. Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, Inc. ISSN 1171-8595.
  6. "Tiritiri Lighthouse". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2010.


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