The tallest lighthouse in New Zealand, and one of the oldest, stands on Dog Island, a low-lying and rocky island in Foveaux Strait about 5 kilometres south-east of Bluff, Southland. With a broad white-painted band around its midriff and narrower black bands above and below, Dog Island Lighthouse is easily visible from the hills above Bluff.
The channel between Bluff and the island is surprisingly shallow, so the need for a lighthouse became evident early in the days of pakeha exploration and the lighthouse was built in 1865. Unlike other early lighthouses which were wooden and often didn't last, this one was constructed in concrete, using rock quarried on the island. It was also notable in being the first lighthouse in New Zealand to have a revolving light apparatus.
The lighthouse, 35 metres tall, was designed by James Balfour, marine engineer to the Otago Provincial Council. Balfour had trained under a renowned family of lighthouse designers, the Stevensons of Edinburgh. Coincidentally, Balfour later became uncle of the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, as his sister Maggie Balfour had married a Stevenson.
Due to the Foveaux Strait weather patterns, this lighthouse needed rather a lot of maintenance over the early years. Originally it had the services of three lighthouse keepers then two and, later, just one. Finally, in 1989 the last keeper was withdrawn when the lighthouse was automated. An excellent story in 'noted' tells of a tvisit to the island with that last keeper. The remaining buildings on the island and the lighthouse itself are recognised by Heritage New Zealand.
This tiny scrap of an island has an unfortunate claim to fame in that it was host to the shipwreck of the steamship SS "Waikouaiti", a vessel of 3926 gross tons. Stranded on Dog Island on 28 November 1939, the SS "Waikouaiti" was a total loss. The island's namesake in Florida has claimed far more ships both before and since.
Image Credits:Intercolonial Freighter Wakouaiti Hard and Fast off Dog Island Near Bluff, Vessel Abandoned to the Underwriters -Auckland Weekly News 1939, Sir George Grey Special Collections Auckland City Libraries*. The wife and baby of the lighthouse keeper at Dog Island, 1924 -National Library. The Dog Island Lighthouse 1900s.*
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