Mary Jane Bennett née Hebden (1816 to 6 Jul 1885) was the first official lighthouse keeper

Lighthouse keeper

A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, and the only woman to ever hold the role .

Mary emigrated to New Zealand in 1840 and was soon married to George White Bennett. In 1852 George took the position of lighthouse keeper at Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Pencarrow is a country house in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated three miles east-southeast of Wadebridge and three miles north-northwest of Bodmin...

 Head. Following the death of her husband in 1855, Mary continued to operate the lighthouse. In January 1859 a proper lighthouse was built and she was officially appointed as keeper. Pencarrow Lighthouse

Pencarrow Head Lighthouse

Pencarrow Head Lighthouse is a decommissioned Lighthouse at Pencarrow Head in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand.It was the first permanent lighthouse built in New Zealand and was constructed from sections of cast iron that were shipped from England...

was the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand.