Inquiries were made to purchasing two leading lights in 1904, with a reply from Trinity House in London saying they could supply two towers fitted with incandescent oil burners.
The Acetylene Gas Co in Australia also sent details about erecting two beacons, with Rochfort and Co (surveyors) reporting on the best position to put them.
The Napier Harbour Board would use an Australian company Ferro Concrete Co to build the two beacons in reinforced concrete – the first harbour board in New Zealand to use ferro concrete in this type of work, and in fact it is thought, in the world.
The Beacons were completed in March 1907, with the seaward beacon 14.3m high on a coastal shingle and the inland beacon at 19.3m placed on a small island on the pre-1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake inner harbour.
To light the beacons, Wigham 31-day lights were used. These were developed for buoys or beacons by John Wigham of England and this type of lamp could be used unattended for 31 days, hence the name 31-day lights. It was illuminated by oil, with a 1.5m wick that was mechanically moved through the burner over a roller by using weights to create the tension required.
The Master of the SS Squall reported picking up the lights clearly 16 miles (25km) offshore after they were switched on.
In 1913 the beacons were converted to electricity with the higher beacon given a red light to be seen against the white light of the coastal beacon.
The lights were decommissioned in 1975, but a green neon light remained on the coastal beacon, which remained there until 2006.
Hawke's Bay Airport was originally called the Beacons in reference to their proximity to the airfield.
In recent years there has been interest displayed in restoring the beacons, but the cost of doing so due to their advanced decay is an expensive exercise.
• Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a contract researcher, commercial business writer of Hawke's Bay history.
