Commissioned in 1870, the lighthouse at Farewell Spit was among those promoted by James Balfour in the Marine Department. It was constructed of wood rather than stone or metal because Balfour was determined to build lighthouses quickly and cheaply. The shore was not much above sea level, so the light needed to be set high to warn seafarers of the 25-kilometre sand spit. The photograph was taken by Samuel Hart, one of the keepers there in the early 1890s.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Museum of Wellington City and Sea, Hart Collection
Reference:
Neg. no. 5109
Photograph by Samuel Hart
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