The lighthouse employed the first revolving beam in New Zealand, and the unique original light apparatus was in use for 60 years.

Originally operated by three lighthouse keepers, the structure has since 1989 been remote controlled from Maritime New Zealand's Wellington office, with Dog Island since having been uninhabited.

It was clear that a lighthouse was needed in Foveaux Strait, but there were long discussions in the 1860s where to place it.

There was confusion over who would take ownership of the situation, and in the end, the central government assumed responsibility for the construction of all lighthouses throughout the colony.

[4] James Balfour, at the time marine engineer to the Otago Provincial Council and later to the Colonial Government of New Zealand,[5] was commissioned during 1863 to design the lighthouse.

[9] Dog Island is low-lying and rocky, and its highest (natural) point is about 15 metres (49 ft) above sea level.

[2] Calculations showed that the lighthouse would have to be some 110 feet (34 m) tall if built on the highest point to be effective.

An investigation showed that there was enough rock that could be quarried on the island for the structure, and that it would be too expensive to build such a tall tower from steel.

The lamps were mounted on a frame with a square base that completed a revolution powered by a massive clockwork every two minutes, thus achieving a beam every 30 seconds.

The reason behind the arrangement was redundancy; even if one of the lamps failed, the other three pointing in the same direction would still produce a, albeit somewhat weaker, beam.

[13] In 1871, a crack appeared at the base of the tower and the Marine Engineer of the day ordered immediate strengthening.

The original system was in use for 60 years, and in 1925, the optical apparatus was upgraded to a second order dioptric lens with an incandescent oil burner.

In August 1989, Dog Island was fully automated and the last permanent lighthouse keeper in New Zealand was withdrawn from service.

[14] Despite the lighthouse, the steamer SS Waikouaiti ran aground on Dog Island on 28 November 1939 during dense fog and was wrecked.

[24] On 22 November 1984, the Dog Island Lighthouse was registered as a Category I structure, with registration number 395.