N.Z.’s oldest light to go out

Press, 11 October 1979, Page 31

N.Z.’s oldest light to go out

PA Nelson The oldest lighthouse j working in New Zealand i is in its last year of active I service. The 117-year-old gas- i powered Boulder Bank lighthouse in the Port of ' Nelson will be replaced by | a shore-based electric , light. The Nelson Harbourmaster (Captain R. A. King) said the shore lights would be mounted either on a planned new harbour watchtower or on existing light pylons on Brunt Quay. Another light would be J erected on a beacon sea- ; ward of Haulashore Island f to replace the old light- I house’s role in guiding I small craft approaching I the harbour entrance i along the Boulder Bank 1 from Snapper Point. “Once the landfall light ' and beacon are set up, we I will discontinue using the I lighthouse,” said Captain j King. ‘That is likely to be within 12 months.”

The main reason for establishing the new lights is that the old lighthouse, commissioned on August 4, 1862, is not powerful enough. “The amount of back- ' ground light from the city i has increased so much j that the lighthouse can , hardly be seen,” said Captain King. The Nelson Harbour Board had considered con- j verting the old lighthouse to electricity or building a ; new jetty to make the i landing of gas bottles easier. However, both altema- 1 tives were ruled too ex- ! pensive.