 The lighthouse in 2004 | |
 | |
| Location | Boulder Bank, Nelson City, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°15′17″S173°15′55″E / 41.2548°S 173.2652°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1862  |
| Automated | 1915 |
| Height | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Heritage | Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic place listing |
| 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]
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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]
