Centre Island new Zealand
Center Island New ZealandThe Centre Island - Maritime NZ beacon
The lighthouse of Centre Island was opened in 1877 and the lights were first lighted in September 1878. Initially, the lighting was operated with rapeseed seed oils, but later switched to wax to increase the luminosity. Due to the perilous cliffs around Centre Island, the lights have erratic areas that cast an arch over the area to be avoid.
The Centre Island watchtower was automized, and the last guard was pulled out in 1987. During the 1990' the initial luminaire and the associated fittings were taken out and installed in place of a state-of-the-art luminaire lit by a 50-watt analogue lamp. This new luminaire is supplied by batteries recharged by photovoltaic cells.
It is now telemonitored from the New Zealand offices in Wellington. Caretakers were in charge of the general upkeep of the towers and their own apartments and also took care of the lighting. Centre Island nurses were largely self-sufficient. 1943 two guards were drowning from the beacon on a fishery excursion.
In 1888 the inhabitants of Centre Island already had a problem with their lodging, as the head guard wrote: "In the first few era shops with bulls or donkeys were taken to the lighting stations. Initially, the lighting ward was the home of three caregivers and their family. When in the mid-1950s the introduction of solar energy to supply the lights, it was thrown back on two caretakers.
Until 1977 only one guard was still based at the beacon. The Centre Islandighthouse was a single stop until the lighting was fully automatic in 1987.