Whangaokeno / East Island
island in New Zealand
Whangaokeno / East Island is a small (13-hectare or 32-acre) island approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) east of East Cape in the North Island of New Zealand. Reaching an elevation of 129 m (423 ft), it was the original location for the East Cape Lighthouse, which was built in 1900. However, the island is prone to earthquakes and its steep cliffs cause numerous landslides. By 1920, the danger to the lighthouse was considered great enough to trigger a decision to move the lighthouse to the mainland. In 1922, the lighthouse was extinguished and relocated to its current position.
On 10 June 2019, the name of the island was officially gazetted as Whangaokeno / East Island.
The Takitimu waka landed at Whangaōkena (East Cape).
The public source identifies “Whangaokeno / East Island” as island in New Zealand. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Whangaokeno, East and Island.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Whangaokeno / East Island”, the useful work is to connect “island in New Zealand” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q984962. VIAF identifies the subject as 315142461. The Library of Congress control number is sh2003011242. Authority coordinates are -37.691, 178.576. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1900, 1920, 1922 and 2019.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Whangaokeno / East Island”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Whangaokeno / East Island primary sources, Whangaokeno / East Island archive and Whangaokeno research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Whangaokeno / East Island”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Whangaokeno / East Island” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.