Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse, also known as Tiritiri Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on

Tiritiri Matangi Tiritiri Matangi Island is located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and north east of Auckland. The island is an open nature reserve managed by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Incorp ...

, an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

in the North Island of New Zealand. It is owned and operated by

Maritime New Zealand Maritime New Zealand (New Zealand Maritime Safety Authority) is a Crown entity and also a state maritime safety authority responsible for protecting the maritime transport sequence and marine environment within New Zealand and maintaining safety ...

. 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 Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...

, 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 An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

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 Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...

References

External links

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Lighthouses of New Zealand
Maritime New Zealand Lighthouses in New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Auckland Region Tourist attractions in the Auckland Region 1860s architecture in New Zealand 1865 establishments in New Zealand Transport buildings and structures in the Auckland Region {{lighthouse-stub

History

See also

References

External links