Whangamōmona is a small township in the Stratford District and

Manawatū-Whanganui Region Manawatū-Whanganui (; spelled Manawatu-Wanganui prior to 2019) is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawa ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It lies on State Highway 43, the "Forgotten World Highway", north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 506.

History

Part 1 of a 2 part panorama overlooking Whangamomona ATLIB 286500

The first European settlers arrived in 1895, with the town proper established some 2 years later.Stratford Press: Two decades and counting in Whangamomona
/ref> Growth of the town was seriously affected by the loss of 51 men (including the smaller nearby settlements of Kohuratahi and Tahora) in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and a major flood in 1924. The town recovered with arrival of the railway line in 1933 and electrification in 1959. However the town went into decline again and the school closed in 1979, followed nine years later by the post office. Kohuratahi Ladies Hockey Team 1935 named New Zealand

Kohuratahi Ladies Hockey Team 1935 named New Zealand

In July 2020, the name of the locality was officially gazetted as Whangamōmona by the

New Zealand Geographic Board The New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) was established by the New Zealand Geographic Board Act 1946, which has since been replaced by the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008. Althoug ...

Demographics

The Whangamomona statistical area, which covers , had a population of 126 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, a decrease of 24 people (-16.0%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 42 people (-25.0%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 54 households. There were 72 males and 54 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.33 males per female. The median age was 49.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 21 people (16.7%) aged under 15 years, 12 (9.5%) aged 15 to 29, 78 (61.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 18 (14.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 92.9% European/Pākehā, 14.3% Māori, and 2.4% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 7.1%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 57.1% had no religion, and 28.6% were Christian. Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (8.6%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 33 (31.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 63 (60.0%) people were employed full-time, 27 (25.7%) were part-time, and 3 (2.9%) were unemployed.

Republic Day

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, regional council boundaries were redrawn, with an emphasis on connected catchments. These revised maps made Whangamōmona part of the then- Manawatu-Wanganui Region since the Whangamōmona River is a tributary of the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natura ...

. Residents objected, as they wanted to continue being part of the

Taranaki Region Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

, and on 1 November 1989, they responded by declaring themselves the "Republic of Whangamomona" at the first Republic Day. Though the move began as a pointed protest, the town continued to hold a celebratory Republic Day once a year, during which a vote for President was held. The day has become a local festival day, and attracts visitors from throughout the North Island. In 2001, the celebration became biennial, held in January to take advantage of the summer weather.

Presidents

Ian Kjestrup (1989–1999)
After being put on the ballot without his knowledge, Kjestrup became the first elected President, serving 10 years. Billy Gumboot the Goat (1999–2001)
Gumboot was the first elected animal. He won election by a landslide, although some residents speculate he ate the other challengers' ballots in order to win. He died in office after serving for 18 months. Tai the Poodle (2003–2004)
Tai retired after he was attacked by a

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears dro ...

, but some speculate it was an assassination attempt. Though he survived the attack, Tai was left unfit for service and died in 2010. Sir Murt "Murtle the Turtle" Kennard (2005–2015)
The local garage owner fought off strong competition from former President Kjestrup to become the 4th President. He was re-elected in 2009 by one vote, and again by a landslide in 2011. Kennard died at New Plymouth Hospice on 25 October 2015. Vicki Pratt (2015–2017)
Pratt was the first female President appointed for the Whangamomona Republic. John Herlihy (2017–present)
Herlihy was elected ahead of Jack Spearow, Lili Jiao (who wanted to be a cat) and Ted (who was already a cat), despite reported attempts by Spearow to steal ballots. On Republic Day 2019 (19 January) President Herlihy was re-elected for a second term, having fought off challenges from Maketoni the Teddy Bear, Sherman the Cockatoo, Eunice the Sheep, Griff Robb (who proposed that the land-locked nation should enter into maritime tourism) and a

Mrs Brown ''Mrs Brown'' (also theatrically released as ''Her Majesty, Mrs Brown'') is a 1997 British drama film starring Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher, and Gerard Butler in his film debut. It was written by Jeremy Brock and ...

look-alike at the polls. Controversy surrounded the election due to the disappearance of candidate Eunice the Sheep, with commentators noting that mutton sandwiches were for sale at the Republic Day barbecue.

References

External links