Heritage Place

Pencarrow Head Lighthouse

Upper lighthouse site on Pencarrow Head at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, New Zealand.

Place Summary

Place ID: LUX-PLACE-000015
Type: historical location
Description: Upper lighthouse site on Pencarrow Head at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, New Zealand.
Aliases: Upper Pencarrow Lighthouse, Pencarrow Lighthouse, Pencarrow Head
Coordinates: -41.35891, 174.85005
Precision: source-import-coordinate
Confidence: high
Status: reviewed
Review: accepted
Notes: Primary place for New Zealand’s first permanent lighthouse and upper Pencarrow day-mark heritage object.

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Heritage Journey

The first permanent light that became a heritage signal

Stop 1 of 3 on Pencarrow Head.

First permanent light / heritage survivorPencarrow Head
Upper Pencarrow is the first permanent lighthouse site and the surviving heritage object whose role changed after Baring Head took over the approach light.

Installed atPencarrow Head Lighthouse Chance Brothers lens to Pencarrow Head Lighthouse01/01/1859
CommissionedPencarrow Head Lighthouse Chance Brothers lens to Pencarrow Head Lighthouse01/01/1859
Transferred ToPencarrow Head Lighthouse Chance Brothers lens to Pencarrow Head Lighthouse1966
RestoredPencarrow Head Lighthouse Chance Brothers lens to Pencarrow Head Lighthouse1974 – 1980
Installed atPencarrow Head cast-iron lighthouse tower kit to Pencarrow Head Lighthouse1858 – 1859

Chance Heritage Trust - Pencarrow Head LighthouseManufacturer Catalog
Chance Heritage Trust records Pencarrow Head Lighthouse in the Chance Brothers lighthouse map import, including a second-order fixed lens, manufacture date 1858, 1859 construction, Lower Pencarrow in 1906, and Baring Head replacement context.
NZHistory - New Zealand’s first lighthouse litOfficial History
Manatū Taonga records Pencarrow Head as New Zealand’s first permanent lighthouse, first lit on 1 January 1859, and identifies Mary Bennett as first keeper and New Zealand’s only female lighthouse keeper.
NZHistory - The lighthouse and its surroundingsOfficial History
Manatū Taonga records the 1858 arrival and hauling of the lighthouse packages, first lighting on 1 January 1859, fog-signal additions, Lower Pencarrow in 1906, Baring Head in 1935, and heritage transfer/restoration context.