Varhaug Municipality

Varhaug Municipality
Varhaug herred
Former municipality
View of Varhaug Church, the main church for the municipality
View of Varhaug Church, the main church for the municipality
Rogaland within Norway
Rogaland within Norway
Varhaug within Rogaland
Varhaug within Rogaland
Coordinates: 58°37′05″N 05°39′25″E / 58.61806°N 5.65694°E / 58.61806; 5.65694
CountryNorway
CountyRogaland
DistrictJæren
Established1 Jan 1894
 • Preceded byHaa Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byHå Municipality
Administrative centreVarhaug
Government
 • Mayor (1959–1963)I.I. Gausland
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
85.5 km2 (33.0 sq mi)
 • Rank#537 in Norway
Highest elevation
331 m (1,086 ft)
Population
 (1963)
 • Total
3,438
 • Rank#262 in Norway
 • Density40.2/km2 (104/sq mi)
 • Change (10 years)
Increase +7.9%
DemonymVarhaugsbu
Official language
 • Norwegian formNeutral
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1118

Varhaug is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 85.5-square-kilometre (33.0 sq mi) municipality existed from 1894 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Hå Municipality in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre was the village of Varhaug. The other larger village in the municipality was Vigrestad.

Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the 85.5-square-kilometre (33.0 sq mi) municipality was the 537th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Varhaug Municipality was the 262nd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 3,438. The municipality's population density was 40.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (104/sq mi) and its population had increased by 7.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of Varhaug was established in 1894 when the old Haa Municipality was divided into two municipalities: the northern district (population: 1801) became the new Nærbø Municipality and the southern district (population: 1806) became the new Varhaug Municipality.

During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the following areas were merged to form the new Hå Municipality (resurrecting the name of the old municipality that was dissolved in 1894):

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Varhaug farm (Old Norse: Varhaugr) since the first Varhaug Church was built there. The first element is likely the word vǫr which means "row of stones" (such as a stone jetty) or "pile of stones" (such as after a landslide). The last element is haugr which means "burial mound" or "cairn".

Churches

The Church of Norway had one parish (sokn) within Varhaug Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Hå prestegjeld and the Jæren prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Stavanger.

Churches in Varhaug Municipality
Parish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear built
VarhaugVarhaug ChurchVarhaug1904

Geography

The highest point in the municipality was the 331-metre (1,086 ft) tall mountain Ihamaren, located on the border with Time Municipality. Nærbø Municipality was located to the north, Time Municipality was located to the east, Ogna Municipality was located to the south, and the North Sea was located to the west.

Government

While it existed, Varhaug Municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Jæren District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Varhaug Municipality was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Varhaug herredsstyre 1959–1963   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 16
Total number of members:17
Note: On 1 January 1964, Varhaug Municipality became part of Hå Municipality.
Varhaug herredsstyre 1955–1959   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 13
Total number of members:17
Varhaug herredsstyre 1951–1955   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 13
Total number of members:16
Varhaug herredsstyre 1947–1951   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 16
Total number of members:16
Varhaug herredsstyre 1945–1947   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) 1
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 15
Total number of members:16
Varhaug herredsstyre 1937–1941*   
Party name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 4
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:16
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

Mayors

The mayor (Norwegian: ordfører) of Varhaug Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:

  • 1894–1904: Halvor T. Aarrestad
  • 1905–1913: Svend H. Aanestad
  • 1914–1916: Rasmus Hobberstad
  • 1917–1922: Halvor T. Aarrestad
  • 1923–1928: Andreas Stavnheim
  • 1929–1931: Sivert Høien
  • 1932–1941: G.L.M. Ueland
  • 1941–1941: Rasmus Varhaug
  • 1942–1942: John F. Johnsen
  • 1943–1945: Rasmus Varhaug
  • 1945–1951: G.L.M. Ueland
  • 1951–1959: Karsten Aanestad
  • 1959–1963: I.I. Gausland

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Kart over Norge: Ihamaren" (in Norwegian). Kartverket.
  2. ↑ "Norsk Lovtidende. 2den Afdeling. 1932. Samling af Love, Resolutioner m.m". Norsk Lovtidend (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norway: Grøndahl og Søns Boktrykkeri: 453–471. 1932.
  3. ↑ Thorsnæs, Geir; Lauritzen, Per Roger, eds. (26 November 2024). "Varhaug (tidligere kommune)". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  4. ↑ Statistisk sentralbyrå. "Table: 06913: Population 1 January and population changes during the calendar year (M)" (in Norwegian).
  5. 1 2 Statistisk sentralbyrå (1 January 1951). Norges Sivile, Geistlige, Rettslige og Militære Inndeling 1. Januar 1951 (PDF). Norges Offisielle Statistikk (in Norwegian). Oslo, Norge: H. Aschehoug & Co.
  6. 1 2 Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  7. ↑ Grepstad, Jon, ed. (25 March 2025). "Nikolai Schei". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  8. ↑ Hansen, Tore; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (27 May 2024). "kommuneinndelingen i Norge". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1915). Norske gaardnavne: Stavanger amt (in Norwegian) (10 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 114.
  10. ↑ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (25 November 2024). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Foreningen Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Grude, Joakim (1919). Amtsformandskabet i Stavanger Amt 1838-1918 (in Norwegian). Stavanger: Dreyers Grafiske Ansalt.
  18. ↑ Obrestad, Tor (1939). Hå : Nærbø-Varhaug 1837-1937 : og ymse tilfang til ei bygdebok for Hå prestegjeld (in Norwegian). Stavanger: Dreyer. pp. 63–66.
  19. ↑ "Ordførere og varaordførere i Østfold, Rogaland og Vest-Agder". Nationen (in Norwegian). 9 January 1941. p. 5. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Nye ordførere i en rekke bygder i Rogaland". Haugesunds Dagblad (in Norwegian). 29 December 1941. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Nyoppnevninger av ordførere og varaordførere i Rogaland fylke". Haugesunds-Pressen (in Norwegian). 10 January 1945. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  22. ↑ "G.L.M. Ueland ordfører i Varhaug". 1ste Mai (in Norwegian). 8 January 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Karsten Aanestad ordfører i Varhaug". 1ste Mai (in Norwegian). 31 December 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "I.I. Gausland ordførar i Varhaug". Rogalands Avis (in Norwegian). 22 December 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 26 April 2026.