The Napier man trying to build an iconic lighthouse on Bluff Hill

A Napier man has found the dome of an old lighthouse in a Glasgow container yard and is bringing it to the city in a bid to finally build the Bluff Hill lighthouse that never was.

Mario Schmidt has been living for 22 years near an old lighthouse site on Bluff Hill, Napier. The land occupied by Bluff Hill bowling club used to be a public reserve with plans in place to build a lighthouse.

A photograph showing Bluff Hill Bowling Club and a lighthouse superimposed on Bluff Hill lookout where Mario Schmidt proposes to restore Napier's maritime history. Photo / Warren Buckland

Napier's first town planner, Alfred Domett, created the Lighthouse Reserve on Bluff Hill, but the council in 1873 instead decided to build a lighthouse on nearby Napier jail land in Coote Rd.

Schmidt says to save money the council of the day proposed to use the jail officers to run it, which he finds fascinating.

"For me the Napier lighthouse history is unique because it must have been the only lighthouse in the world being run by prison staff.

"I had no interest in lighthouses or Napier history before I came to Napier."

The lighthouse was in use until automatic lights installed at Cape Kidnappers and Beacons Airfield, now Hawke's Bay Airport, made it redundant.

It was then demolished in 1948 by the Marine Department.

Mario Schmidt is proposing building a new lighthouse on Bluff Hill lookout (the high point behind him). Photo / Warren Buckland

Schmidt says after many hours of searching for ways to bring history to life, he located a lantern dome in a Glasgow container yard two years ago.

It closely matched the lost Napier lighthouse dome, he said.

Maritime UK and Peel Port in Glasgow have agreed, after Schmidt's inquiries, to donate the 150-year-old dome to the city of Napier to be used as a possible replica of Napier's original lighthouse.

Schmidt says he is now approaching the Napier City Council with the concept of installing his lighthouse at the Bluff Hill lookout.

Napier City Council executive director of infrastructure Debra Stewart says a development of this scale in a prominent location needed to be formally reported to council, whose decision on it would include a community engagement component.

Mario Schmidt says he has secured a lantern dome in a Glasgow container yard that closely matches the lost Napier lighthouse dome. Photo / Supplied

"Matters such as funding and any required planning permissions would also need to be included in the report to council."

Schmidt says he will push on with his plan to build Napier's newest tourist attraction, and would love support. He is exploring funding options but at the moment has nothing confirmed.

"It makes sense to have a lighthouse here [Bluff Hill lookout] to preserve our lighthouse history in Napier.

"If we don't build another lighthouse, this history will be forgotten in years to come."

Schmidt says after 22 years on the hill he is attached to it, and emotionally motivated to protect and restore its history - the lighthouse is the latest manifestation.

Schmidt says adamantly, "I'm not obsessed, I have place attachment."