Boulder Bank Lighthouse
The lighthouse in 2004 | |
| Location | Boulder Bank, Nelson City, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°15′17″S 173°15′55″E / 41.2548°S 173.2652°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1862 |
| Automated | 1915 |
| Height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Light | |
| Deactivated | 1982 |
| Designated | 23 June 1983 |
| Reference no. | 41 |
Boulder Bank Lighthouse is a decommissioned 19th century lighthouse[1] located near the Port Nelson end of the Boulder Bank. It was New Zealand's second permanent lighthouse.[2]
Prior to its construction, the Nelson harbour entrance, with its four-metre tidal range and narrow curved channel, was a trap to unwary ship's captains.[3] The octagonal cast-iron tower was manufactured in sections by Stothert & Pitt, an engineering firm from Bath, England, in 1859 at a cost of £2,824 (equivalent to £293,595 as of 2023).[4] It was then shipped to New Zealand on board the Glenshee, and was erected in 1862.[5]
It is registered with Heritage New Zealand as a category I structure with registration number 41.[5]
The lighthouse was lit for 120 years, from 1862 until 1982. It was given a fresh coat of white paint in October 2018.[6] Its perch on the natural breakwater makes it popular with tourists.[2] Today, it stands alone, but was not always so. When it was staffed by lighthouse keepers, a number of homes, other buildings and radio mast clustered around its base.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Phillips, Mark (2005). "New Zealand Lighthouses". Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ a b Jones, Frederick Nelson; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Nelson lighthouse". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Nelson Lighthouses, in Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 2, Issue 5, November 1971". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ UK Consumer Price Index inflation figures from 1209–2024 based on data from "Inflation calculator". Bank of England. London: Bank of England. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Boulder Bank Lighthouse". Heritage New Zealand registry of historic places. 23 June 1983. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ^ "Port Nelson lighthouse gets a new lick of paint". Nelson Mail. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
External links
- Nelson Boulder Bank Light in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database