The legends of Kupe and Maori history both make significant references to Cape Palliser. The region was part of New Zealand’s colonization as well. A great number of early shipwrecks were caused by the untamed coast and the infamous Cook Strait gales. Twelve of the twenty-one crew members of a ship that sank within four miles of the new tower six months before the light was ignited in 1897 perished.
The area continued to be dangerous for the unwary even though a light on Cape Palliser decreased the amount of shipwrecks. In order to distinguish itself from the hills behind it, the tower at Cape Palliser was painted with red and white stripes. Only two other lighthouses in New Zealand are striped, not the typical plain white design.