Whangamomona

Whangamomona is a small community in New Zealand, the 1989 independence proclaimed in protest to the administrative reform of government in which the community was ever assigned to half of two different administrative regions, declared itself a republic and that since then every two years celebrated with a festival and celebrates.

Geography

Whangamomona located in the western part of the North Island in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region, halfway between Stratford and Taumarunui and is since the beginning associated with the Stratford district. Through the village runs the State Highway 43, which is also known as the Forgotten World Highway and Stratford and Taumarunui together. The railway line Stratford- Okahukura through the place without but to tie it to the existing freight transport. Named for the place was, the Whangamomona River, which passes through the city in southeast direction and then empties into the Whanganui River.

History

In March of 1893 the Whangamomona valley was explored by the surveyor Joshua Morgan for the first time and documented accordingly. Two years later the first settlers arrived in the valley, including prospectors from the West Coast of the South Island. Although the country was not yet released for settlement, they founded in 1895 the settlement Wangamomona and gave him the nickname " Valley of Plenty " ( German: Valley of plenty ). 1901, the spelling of the place in Whangamomona was changed.

From 1897 then the country has been released by the government to purchase and was rapidly distributed. 1998 was one of the district around the village already 187 inhabitants. Far away from the district administration, the settlers lived their independence. Since they were dissatisfied with the lengthy bureaucratic processes of the Stratford County Council ( management of the Stratford County), the inhabitants of Whangamomona declared in 1908 for autonomous and independent and founded their own Whangamomona County Council. The town grew to the great flood in 1924. According to the devastation caused by the floods, many residents left the place, with the result of the incipient economic decline. After nearly 50 years economies with cash -strapped, they finally gave in 1955 to the self-reliance and was re- assigned to the Stratford County Council. The big slump arrived but in the 1960s and 1970s. The railway line, which also crossed the place and during their construction the people bread and work gave was completed. Many lost their jobs and moved away. In the late 1970s the population had shrunk by 70%.

Most public buildings or buildings with social functions were built in the years 1902-1912 and are now restored with the support of the Stratford District Councils. Thus, there are, among others, nor built in 1903 Community Hall, which was used from 1904 to 1911 as a school, the 1911 built building of the Bank of Australasia, which is more like a normal house, which was built in 1912 post office building, which until its closure in 1988 as post office had served, and of course the Whangamomona Hotel, which was opened in 1902 as a restaurant and was rebuilt after being destroyed in 1910 by fire (1911 ) in its existing form today. After the outbreak of the Spanish flu in New Zealand, the hotel has been used since 1919 for the region in the meantime as a hospital. In 1975, the hotel business was completely set and used the building as a restaurant with only local event for the region.

1984, the hotel has been put back into operation and is since 1989 as a center of "rebellion" against the government in Wellington. In protest against the bureaucratic decision to allocate one half of the congregation of the newly formed Manawatu-Wanganui Region and to leave the other half in the Taranaki region, they called on November 1, 1989 and declared the independence of the Republic of Whangamomona Whangamomona.

Today

There are those who call the place today as a ghost town, but met every two years, several thousand " citizens of the Republic " together and celebrate the Declaration of Independence in 1989 with a folk festival. In the intervening 729 days tourists come to the small town, stay for a few photos and make yourself further on the path of the Forgotten World Highway. The hotel anyway, is still the central focus of the place is and the location of the " resistance against the authorities ".

Swell

• Heritage Trails- information panels on historic buildings in the town.
• QuickStats About Whangamomona - Statistics New Zealand - ( accessed on 31 March 2010)