NEW ZEALAND LIGHTHOUSES

Mana Island (1865-1877)

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Mana Island is a three-kilometre long, 2.17 square kilometres, with cliffs covering much of its coast and a plateau occupying much of the centre. It lies three kilometres off the North Island coast in the Tasman Sea, west of the city of Porirua and to the south of the entrance to Porirua Harbour. The name Mana is an abbreviation of "Te Mana O Kupe ki Aotearoa". It acknowledges Kupe the great Polynesian navigator who discovered New Zealand (Aotearoa).

In 1856,  the northernmost of The Brothers islands, off the north-east tip of the South Island, was considered an excellent site for a lighthouse. But Marine Board members visiting on a still, fine day in 1863 nevertheless found that neither island offered easy access. The precipitous coastline and choppy waters were a danger to anyone landing, and building would be expensive. The board opted for Mana Island, off the south-west coast of the North Island, as a site – although that tower would later be moved to Cape Egmont, and a new tower was built on the Brothers in 1877. ¹⁸

The Mana lighthouse is the twin to the tower at Tiritiri.  It was designed by McLean and Stilman, civil engineers of Great George Street, London  ⁴  and prefabricated  by Simpson and Co, of Pimlico, London ^{15  a}  

The cast iron tower, lens and lantern were shipped from Pimlico, London in March 1864 and were erected on the northern side of the island. The overseeing was supervised by Richard AyIner, the Marine Boards lighthouse artificer.

The Mana Island light was first lit on February, 1st, 1865, and along with Pencarrow Head and Nelson were the only lights serving the Cook Strait area.

The first principal keeper on Mana was William Hendle. He was born in London in 1831 and sailed to New Zealand in 1856, where he married Jane White. Hendle joined the Marine Board as the principal keeper for Mana Island and was paid a salary of £190 per annum. He moved to the island with his wife and 2 children, George Norton (born 1857) and Robert White (born 1862). They had a previous son, James White (born 1857) but he died in 1863. ^b

While on the island, two more children were born, George (1867) and Alfred John (1869). Unfortunately George Norton died in February 1866. ^b

After five years, the Hendle family left the island in July of 1870 and to moved to Cape Campbell. ^b

Unfortunately the Mana Island light displayed the same characteristics as Pencarrow Head lighthouse at the entrance to Wellington Harbour and this may have caused the loss of two ships the City of Newcastle and Cyrus, in 1870, with their masters confusing the two lights. ³

Therefore, in 1874  a decision was made to move the lighthouse to Cape Egmont where a lighthouse had been planned since the 1860's ¹⁰ and a lighthouse was planned for  The Brothers a rocky inlet in Cook Strait. ¹⁸

In 1876 construction commenced on  The Brothers lighthouse and was first lit in September, 1877, at the same time the light at Mana Island was extinguished. ¹⁰

Four year later in 1881, the lighthouse was removed and shipped to Cape Egmont, aboard the lighthouse tender Hinimoa. The steel-built tower which weighed 90 tons was brought to shore by surfboats in sections. Bullock teams were used to drag the segments into position, where they were bolted back together. ^a

To haul the lighthouse in place, existing bridges needed to be strengthened and as the road was so soft the bullock teams could only drag 3 tons per trip. ¹⁰

Originally costing £5513 ³  to install on Mana Island, it cost an additional £3353  ¹⁰  to have it installed on Cape Egmont. It was tendered by two keepers. ¹⁰

DIRECTIONS:

The lighthouse has been decommissioned and removed.

Visits are welcome at Mana Island by boat. However the island is a bird sanctuary and has been eradicated of all non native pests. Please see the DOC website for further information and restrictions. http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/wellington/kapiti/mana-island-scientific-reserve/

A track to the old lighthouse site, the Tirohanga track takes 1.5 hours. ¹³

The brick foundations of the lighthouse tower and the ditch and bank boundary of the keepers gardens can still be seen today. ¹³

Sources

Additional Sources:

^a. Puke Ariki  http://www.pukeariki.com interview with Cape Egmont's last keeper Bryan Richards

^b. Friends of Mana Island  http://www.manaisland.org.nz/index.htm David Cormick Lighthouse Keepers on Mana Island

^c. Gayle Dickison

Text and photographs. Copyright © 1999-2011 Mark Phillips. All rights reserved.

If anyone has any information on this light please contact me. thekiwimark@msn.com

Last Updated: January 1, 2010