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Pencarrow Head lighthouse and Baring Head lighthouse
The eastern harbour land and beaches were important routes to and from the Wairarapa for European settlers arriving in the new port and town of Wellington.
Pencarrow Head itself featured almost immediately in New Zealand Company plans to protect shipping and as early as 1842 a white beacon was erected there and was tended by George Bennett and his wife Mary.
As shipwreck after shipwreck occurred, public pressure increased for a lighthouse. In June 1858 the iron tower arrived from England and was landed on Pencarrow beach then assembled on the cliffs above.
Unfortunately by the time it was built George Bennett had drowned in a boating accident (1855) so his wife Mary became New Zealand's first official lighthouse keeper.
The light was first lit 1 January 1859. The light was often shrouded by low fog so a new tower was constructed on the beach in 1906. Originally the tower was an open steel frame but it was encased in concrete and increased in height in the 1930's.
Both lights burned together for 30 years until Baring Head lighthouse was built in 1935 and the original light was decommissioned.
Baring Head was named after Baring the director of the New Zealand Association, the forebear to the New Zealand Company who bought settlers to the New Zealand.
Baring Head is situated on the southern headland of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour).
In 1929 the Marine Department discussed moving the old Pencarrow lighthouse to a new site at Baring Head. The idea was deferred while tests were made on new revolving light equipment at Egmont lighthouse.
In 1931 they decided to build a new lighthouse which would serve both as an approach light for Wellington harbour and a coastal light for Cook Strait. The contract was let, but due to economics the contract was then deferred. The land was donated by Mr. Eric Riddiford in 1932 and in 1934 work begun. At the time Baring Head was so inaccessible by road, the Marine Department considered shipping construction materials there.
First lit on June 18, 1935, Baring Head was the second to last manned lighthouse to be built in New Zealand. It replaced the first New Zealand light, the original Pencarrow lighthouse which was extinguished the same day and designated as a historical place.
The light was the first to run on electricity from the onset and was initially run with a diesel powered generator. This meant the keepers no longer had a night watch and an alarm system in the keeper's house would warn of any failures.
One of the more accessible lighthouses, the keepers were able to pick up their supplies in Wellington or the suburbs and the keeper's children also attended school there.
During the Second World War the lighthouse grounds were used by the New Zealand Navy as a radar and signal station.
In 1950 the light station was connected to the main electrical grid and the diesel generators were used as a backup.
In 1956 the light's character was changed from flashing three times every 15 seconds to the present character due to a nearby Harbour Board automatic light having a similar character. The lens does not revolve, the bulb flashes on and off instead.
The radio beacon, which guided ships up to 100 nautical miles away, was removed in 1981. The lighthouse was automated in 1989.
Despite all these precautions, the eastern harbour coast remained dangerous to shipping, especially in fog and rain. Up to 21 wrecks have been recorded on the Pencarrow coast, the most recent being in 1981.
Pencarrow Head lighthouse and Baring Head lighthouse
The eastern harbour land and beaches were important routes to and from the Wairarapa for European settlers arriving in the new port and town of Wellington.
Pencarrow Head itself featured almost immediately in New Zealand Company plans to protect shipping and as early as 1842 a white beacon was erected there and was tended by George Bennett and his wife Mary.
As shipwreck after shipwreck occurred, public pressure increased for a lighthouse. In June 1858 the iron tower arrived from England and was landed on Pencarrow beach then assembled on the cliffs above.
Unfortunately by the time it was built George Bennett had drowned in a boating accident (1855) so his wife Mary became New Zealand's first official lighthouse keeper.
The light was first lit 1 January 1859. The light was often shrouded by low fog so a new tower was constructed on the beach in 1906. Originally the tower was an open steel frame but it was encased in concrete and increased in height in the 1930's.
Both lights burned together for 30 years until Baring Head lighthouse was built in 1935 and the original light was decommissioned.
Baring Head was named after Baring the director of the New Zealand Association, the forebear to the New Zealand Company who bought settlers to the New Zealand.
Baring Head is situated on the southern headland of Port Nicholson (Wellington Harbour).
In 1929 the Marine Department discussed moving the old Pencarrow lighthouse to a new site at Baring Head. The idea was deferred while tests were made on new revolving light equipment at Egmont lighthouse.
In 1931 they decided to build a new lighthouse which would serve both as an approach light for Wellington harbour and a coastal light for Cook Strait. The contract was let, but due to economics the contract was then deferred. The land was donated by Mr. Eric Riddiford in 1932 and in 1934 work begun. At the time Baring Head was so inaccessible by road, the Marine Department considered shipping construction materials there.
First lit on June 18, 1935, Baring Head was the second to last manned lighthouse to be built in New Zealand. It replaced the first New Zealand light, the original Pencarrow lighthouse which was extinguished the same day and designated as a historical place.
The light was the first to run on electricity from the onset and was initially run with a diesel powered generator. This meant the keepers no longer had a night watch and an alarm system in the keeper's house would warn of any failures.
One of the more accessible lighthouses, the keepers were able to pick up their supplies in Wellington or the suburbs and the keeper's children also attended school there.
During the Second World War the lighthouse grounds were used by the New Zealand Navy as a radar and signal station.
In 1950 the light station was connected to the main electrical grid and the diesel generators were used as a backup.
In 1956 the light's character was changed from flashing three times every 15 seconds to the present character due to a nearby Harbour Board automatic light having a similar character. The lens does not revolve, the bulb flashes on and off instead.
The radio beacon, which guided ships up to 100 nautical miles away, was removed in 1981. The lighthouse was automated in 1989.
Despite all these precautions, the eastern harbour coast remained dangerous to shipping, especially in fog and rain. Up to 21 wrecks have been recorded on the Pencarrow coast, the most recent being in 1981.