Pencarrow Head Pencarrow
Rural area
Ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 at Pencarrow Head
Coordinates: 41°21′34″S 174°50′54″E / 41.3594°S 174.8482°E / -41.3594; 174.8482
Country	New Zealand
Region	Wellington Region
Territorial authority	Lower Hutt
Ward	Wainuiomata
Electorates	Hutt South Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Hutt City Council
• Regional council	Greater Wellington Regional Council
• Hutt South MP	Chris Bishop
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area [1]
• Total	268.40 km2 (103.63 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	690
• Density	2.6/km2 (6.7/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)	5013
Area code	04

Pencarrow Head, also known as Pencarrow, is a headland in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and the name of the surrounding area, which was derived from Pencarrow, the family home of New Zealand Company director, Sir William Molesworth.^[3] The name is Cornish and formed from Pen which translates to English as head and Carrow which is a valley.^[4]

It is the eastern headland that marks the entrance to Wellington Harbour. The area is located south of Eastbourne and is part of Lower Hutt. The area is hilly and has no road access; a walking and mountain biking track follows the coast line.^[5] The head marks the northern end of Fitzroy Bay.

The main attraction of Pencarrow Head is the Pencarrow Head Lighthouse, the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand constructed in 1859. It is one of Wellington's most notable heritage locations and New Zealand's only female lighthouse keeper, Mary Bennett, worked here. The return walk from Eastbourne takes four hours.^[5][6]

The Pencarrow lakes, Lake Kohangapiripiri and Lake Kohangatera, are freshwater wetlands that were blocked from the sea by earthquake activity. Stock grazing was discontinued in 2004 and the wetlands are recovering from stock and farming impacts. The area is under joint management by the Department of Conservation and the Greater Wellington Regional Council.^[7]

Treated effluent from Seaview sewage works is discharged at Pencarrow Head, at the end of a 18 km (11 mi) pipeline built in 1962.^[8]

Many ships have been wrecked on the rocks between the Head and Point Hinds to the north, including Henrietta in 1852,^[9] Hunter in 1876,^[10] Carlotta in 1878,^[11] Magic in 1921,^[12] Admiral in 1960^[13] and Maria Luisa in 1996, in a collision with Sydney Express.^[14]

Pencarrow statistical area covers 268.40 km² (103.63 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 690 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 2.6 people per km².

Pencarrow had a population of 651 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 63 people (10.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 78 people (13.6%) since the 2006 census. There were 228 households, comprising 312 males and 342 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. The median age was 46.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 123 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 102 (15.7%) aged 15 to 29, 342 (52.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 84 (12.9%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 88.9% European/Pākehā, 12.9% Māori, 3.7% Pasifika, 5.1% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 18.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.1% had no religion, 32.7% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.9% were Hindu, 0.5% were Muslim, 1.8% were Buddhist and 1.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 87 (16.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 105 (19.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $39,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 129 people (24.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 291 (55.1%) people were employed full-time, 84 (15.9%) were part-time, and 15 (2.8%) were unemployed.^[15]