Lighthouse on Tiritiri Matagni Island
by Jennie Breeze
Title
Lighthouse on Tiritiri Matagni Island
Artist
Jennie Breeze
Medium
Photograph - Original Img_0067
Description
Situated on Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf, this is the oldest operational lighthouse in New Zealand. The cast iron tower manufactured in England was shipped to New Zealand aboard the Queen of the Deep arriving in Auckland 15 June 1864. The tower and lenses, packed in 279 packages and 35 cases and weighing seventy nine tons was then shipped to the island and moved to the building site by sledges pulled by 12 bullocks. The total cost to build the lighthouse was 5500. The tower is the twin to the tower at Cape Egmont that was designed by McLean and Stilman, civil engineers of Great George Street, London. Over the years the lighting equipment has been changed several times. Originally the lamp burned colza oil, then in 1879 was converted to paraffin oil. A red glass pane was added to the lantern in 1882 to throw a red light over nearby Flat Rock. After an automatic light was installed on Flat Rock in 1922 the red pane was removed. In 1916 the light was converted to kerosene. The keepers were withdrawn from the island in 1925 when the light was replaced with an automatic acetylene burning revolving light. However the keepers returned in 1947 when the light was upgraded once again. In 1955 the light was converted again from oil to diesel generated electricity. The last keeper of the light became the first conversation officer of the island when Tiritiri became a wildlife sanctuary within the Hauraki Gulf Wildlife Park
Uploaded
June 26th, 2014
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Viewed 237 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/26/2024 at 3:28 AM
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Comments (1)
Jennie Breeze
Thanks Jouko! Appreciate being featured in ;your ART FROM THE PAST art group.
Jennie Breeze replied:
Always a pleasure to be featured in your BOOK COVERS art group. Thanks Jo Ann!