Cape Brett Lighthouse Station

Cape Brett Peninsula, CAPE BRETT

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Cape Brett Lighthouse Station was built in 1909 - 1910. The light was first illuminated on 21 February 1910. The lighthouse was a significant element in the second phase of lighthouse building around the New Zealand coast, its location reflecting changing patterns of trade and shipping in the early twentieth century. Its large first order Fresnel lens enabled its light to be seen 49 kilometres out to sea. Cape Brett was the last of New Zealand's nine first order lighthouses to be installed, the only one erected in the twentieth century. Cape Brett was the first lighthouse in New Zealand to use a mercury bath to support the rotating optic. This was a significant innovation, enabling the very large optic to be readily rotated on a more stable platform, providing a more reliable signal. Cape Brett Lighthouse Station was a large lighthouse establishment with three resident keepers. The Cape Brett Lighthouse Station was designed by David Scott. The lantern was designed by Stevensons of Edinburgh, with components also made by Chance Brothers of Birmingham and Milnes of Edinburgh. The iron tower was built by Judds in Thames. Initially Cape Brett Lighthouse was powered by incandescent kerosene. In 1955, the lighthouse was converted to electricity provided by diesel generator, and in 1967 it was connected to the national grid. Following the Marine Department programme of automation of lighthouses in the 1970s, it was replaced by an automatic beacon. It last shone on 5 October 1978. It is now managed by the Department of Conservation as a Recreation Reserve. Cape Brett Lighthouse is remarkable in that it is virtually complete as an abandoned installation, and could be returned to a fully operational state without very much restoration. Cape Brett Lighthouse is unique in New Zealand as the only lighthouse to have survived in place with its original equipment substantially intact. It shows the complete working of a lighthouse through the whole range of lighthouse operation in New Zealand. All of its operating mechanism is intact and remains in the context of its use. This context also includes the lighthouse settlement. Even with the removal of many of the buildings, the layout of the site and the building remains make very clear the context in which the lighthouse stood and still stands, as part of a whole lighthouse station landscape.

Cape Brett Lighthouse Station. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Dan Burns | 10/07/2020 | Dan Burns
Cape Brett Lighthouse Station. Image courtesy of www.jontynz.com | 04/12/2020 | Jonty Crane
Cape Brett Lighthouse Station. Image courtesy of www.jontynz.com | 04/12/2020 | Jonty Crane
Cape Brett Lighthouse Station. Detail CC BY-ND 2.0 Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Mike Locke | 19/10/2007 | Mike Locke
Cape Brett Lighthouse Station. The two electric bulbs within the Fresnel lens, with the two ‘bulls eyes’ prominently visible | Stuart Park | 01/11/2000 | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 1

Access

Able to Visit

List Number

7799

Date Entered

6th June 2009

Date of Effect

6th June 2009

City/District Council

Far North District

Region

Northland Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Section 2, Blk XIIA Bay of Islands Survey District and Lot 2 DP 333444 North Auckland Land District RT137065 and the buildings and structures known as the Cape Brett Lighthouse Station thereon. It excludes Lot 1 DP333444 (Refer to map in Appendix 1 for further information).

Legal description

Sec 2, Block XIIA Bay of Islands SD (NZ Gazette 1992, pp. 3398-9); Lot 2 DP 333444 (RT 137065), North Auckland Land District

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