[vc_row row_height_percent=”65″ back_image=”6814″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”875053″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_color=”color-584830″ overlay_alpha=”80″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-xsdn” text_size=”fontsize-321034″ uncode_shortcode_id=”133840″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Copper Rod[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading heading_semantic=”h4″ text_size=”h4″ uncode_shortcode_id=”325913″]Author: Trevor Scott
Header Photo from the archives, pre 1971

Date: March 2024[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”130408″]Did you know that lighthouses are often struck by lightning? To prevent damage caused by these strikes, lighthouses are equipped with metal poles called lightning rods. These rods are attached to a thick copper wire that runs from the top of the lighthouse down to the ground. When lightning strikes the tower, it enters through the lightning rod and travels down the wire into the ground, minimizing potential damage.

Trevor Scott, who was the lighthouse keeper on Tiritiri Matangi from 1958-1960 and 1966-1969, shared that he remembers seeing the spare left over copper rods used to hang up curtains in the lighthouse keepers house.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155460″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”181790″][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”169089″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”194832″][vc_single_image media=”6810″ media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”206734″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-849512″ text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”108354″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Trevor Scott has written

Copper Rod

Used for lightning conductor on Tiritiri Lighthouse. This runs under ground from the base of the tower northwards east of the Norfolk pin to the bottom of the gully where a plate of copper is attached and buried in the swamp. In 1958 this and other pieces were under the maracarpa. Also the old house that was on the eastern cliff side had used the left over as curtain rods. [/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155460″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”181790″][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”169089″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”382822″][vc_single_image media=”6812″ media_width_percent=”100″ alignment=”right” advanced=”yes” media_overlay_opacity=”50″ media_padding=”2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”102474″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-849512″ text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”458217″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Trevor Scott holding the copper rod that he has gifted to the Tiritiri Matangi Museum
Photo credit: Talia Hochwimmer [/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155460″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”181790″][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”169089″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”382822″][vc_single_image media=”6814″ media_width_percent=”100″ alignment=”right” advanced=”yes” media_overlay_opacity=”50″ media_padding=”2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”193090″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-849512″ text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”177844″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]The Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse pre 1971, from the archives[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”155460″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”xs” width=”1/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”181790″][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ equal_height=”yes” gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”169089″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ position_vertical=”middle” align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”382822″][vc_single_image media=”6818″ media_width_percent=”100″ alignment=”right” advanced=”yes” media_overlay_opacity=”50″ media_padding=”2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”100120″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-849512″ text_size=”h6″ uncode_shortcode_id=”198279″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]The Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse today
Photo credit: Geoff Beals[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column][/vc_row]