Boulder Bank Lighthouse

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]

Boulder Bank Lighthouse
The lighthouse in 2004
Map
LocationBoulder Bank, Nelson City, New Zealand Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates41°15′17″S 173°15′55″E / 41.2548°S 173.2652°E / -41.2548; 173.2652
Tower
Constructed1862 Edit this on Wikidata
Automated1915 Edit this on Wikidata
Height18 m (59 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
HeritageHeritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place listing Edit this on Wikidata
Light
Deactivated1982 Edit this on Wikidata
Designated23 June 1983
Reference no.41

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 £357,302 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

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References

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  1. ^ Phillips, Mark (2005). "New Zealand Lighthouses". Archived from the original on 5 October 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Frederick Nelson; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Nelson lighthouse". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 26 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b "Nelson Lighthouses, in Nelson Historical Society Journal, Volume 2, Issue 5, November 1971". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  4. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Boulder Bank Lighthouse". Heritage New Zealand registry of historic places. 23 June 1983. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Port Nelson lighthouse gets a new lick of paint". Nelson Mail. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
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