Cape Egmont Lighthouse

First erected on Mana Island in 1864, this imposing tower of imported Cast iron prefabricated modules, was re-erected on Cape Egmont in 1881. This was at the height of the “Parihaka troubles” and the lighthouse is the only one in New Zealand to have been built under armed guard.

The armed guards stayed there for some time, the lighthouse keeper complaining to management about the armed guests.

When the light, originally an 1850’s Fresnil Prismatic Light, was made electric in 1951, it was by use of a diesel generator, the mains electricity coming out here some time later.

Naturally an exposed location, the lighthouse is accessible by road, and can provide excellent views back towards Mt Taranaki. Even though this tower is not going anywhere, the locals decided to build a replica anyway, it is non-functioning and stationed alongside the Cape Egmont Boating Club. They have an old lens from the lighthouse installed.

A few kilometres south along the beach is the end of Lower Parihaka road, midway between Pungarehu and Rahotu. It was here that one of Taranaki's pioneering flaxmilling families, the Rutherfords, had their mill, Tipoka, from the 1880s until the 1920s.

They came here from Havelock, where they ran a successful mill, and one of their sons was Lord Baron Ernest Rutherford, who went on to a stellar scientific career and is considered the father of all nuclear science after splitting the atom. The rest of the Rutherfords, James, Martha and 12 children, ran a hugely successful mill here, on the banks of the Waitotara river. They had their created their own lake, bought the latest steam turbine milling equipment and built up the business until it employed many extra men. They soon opened more mills at Waverley, Opunake and Waerea. When international competition saw the decline of Flax milling in New Zealand, Rutherfords were last to close down, in 1929.

Rutherfords Mill cannot be visited as it is long gone and NZPlaces are unsure if their 1889 'fine rimu villa' in Pungarehu survives. If you have anymore information about the Rutherfords, please let us know.

There is a display at the lighthouse about the Rutherford Family.