Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse

Lighthouse in New Zealand

Lighthouse

Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse
Tower
The lighthouse in 2010

Location	Tiritiri Matangi North Island New Zealand
Coordinates	36°36′20.4″S 174°53′50.8″E / 36.605667°S 174.897444°E / -36.605667; 174.897444
Constructed	1864
Construction	cast iron tower
Automated	1925 (1st), 1984 (2nd)
Height	20 metres (66 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower, black lantern roof
Power source	solar power
Operator	Department of Conservation
Heritage	Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place listing

Light
First lit	1865
Focal height	91 metres (299 ft)
Range	18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)
Characteristic	FL W 15s


Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
Designated	25 June 1992
Reference no.	5403

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, and is the oldest lighthouse in New Zealand still in operation. It was once the most powerful lighthouse in the Southern Hemisphere.

History

Constructed in 1864 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 staffed 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.

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

References

^ "Tiritiri Matangi". Maritime New Zealand. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of New Zealand: North Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
^ "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.
"The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, Part 2". Inset to The New Zealand Herald. 3 March 2010. p. 8.
"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.
"Tiritiri Lighthouse". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 6 March 2010.

External links

[REDACTED] Media related to Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse at Wikimedia Commons

Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
Lighthouses of New Zealand Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Maritime New Zealand

New Zealand portal Engineering portal

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