Bean Rock Lighthouse is the small wooden cottage that stands out in the water of Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour, on a reef between the city and Waiheke. First lit in 1871, it is New Zealand’s oldest surviving wooden lighthouse and the last of its cottage-style kind left in the country. For its first four decades a keeper and his family actually lived in the tiny building, out on the reef.
| First lit | 24 July 1871 |
| Height | About 15 metres above the sea |
| Design | Hexagonal wooden cottage on piles |
| Automated | 1912, New Zealand’s first automated lighthouse |
| Light | Flashing white and red every 8 seconds |
| Range | 14 nautical miles white, 11 red |
| Region | Waitematā Harbour, Auckland |
| Access | No public landing. Seen from ferries and the waterfront |
| Heritage | Heritage New Zealand Category 1 |
A cottage on the reef
Bean Rock is a hexagonal wooden cottage of kauri, three small rooms around a central shaft, topped by a lantern and ringed by narrow verandahs, standing on piles driven into the reef. It was conceived by the colonial marine engineer James Balfour, who drowned in 1869 before it was finished; the engineer James Stewart completed it. It first shone on 24 July 1871. The reef takes its name from Lieutenant Bean of HMS Herald, who helped survey the Waitematā in 1840.
Living on the water
For its first 41 years the lighthouse was a home. Keepers and their families lived in the cramped cottage out in the harbour, rowing to shore for supplies, until 1912, when an automatic acetylene lamp was installed and the keepers withdrawn. That made Bean Rock the first automated lighthouse in New Zealand. By the 1980s the structure was in poor shape and demolition was proposed; public opposition saved it, and in 1985 it was lifted ashore, rebuilt on new timber legs and concrete foundations, and returned to the rock.
Explore the data. See how Bean Rock fits with every other light around the coast, with build years, heights and access notes, on our interactive New Zealand lighthouses map.
Seeing Bean Rock Lighthouse
There is no landing on Bean Rock. It stands offshore in open water and is a look-don’t-touch landmark. The easiest way to see it up close is from the deck of an Auckland ferry to Devonport or Waiheke, which pass nearby. It is also visible from Mission Bay and along Tāmaki Drive on the eastern bays waterfront, and sailing and kayak trips often pass it. It is still an active navigation light, now solar-powered and run by Ports of Auckland.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Bean Rock Lighthouse?
No. It stands offshore on a reef in the Waitematā Harbour with no public landing. You can see it well from Auckland ferries to Devonport and Waiheke, and from Mission Bay and Tāmaki Drive.
How old is Bean Rock Lighthouse?
It was first lit on 24 July 1871, which makes it New Zealand’s oldest surviving wooden lighthouse and the last of its cottage style left in the country.
Did people really live in Bean Rock Lighthouse?
Yes. For its first 41 years, until it was automated in 1912, a keeper and his family lived in the tiny cottage out on the reef.
Related guides and sources
- New Zealand Lighthouses Explorer, our interactive map of every major light around the coast.
- Heritage New Zealand listing for Bean Rock Lighthouse.
- New Zealand Maritime Museum in Auckland.
Make a day of it. Bean Rock is best paired with the Auckland waterfront, a ferry across to Devonport or a walk along Tāmaki Drive to Mission Bay, from where the little cottage is easy to pick out on the harbour.