Whangamōmona

Whangamōmona
Whangamomona Hotel
Seal
Coordinates: 39°08′41″S 174°44′09″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	Manawatū-Whanganui region
Territorial authority	Stratford District
Ward	Stratford Rural General Ward Stratford Māori Ward
Electorates	Taranaki-King Country Te Tai Hauāuru (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Stratford District Council
• Regional council	Horizons Regional Council

Whangamōmona is a township in the Stratford District and Manawatū-Whanganui Region of New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the "Forgotten World Highway", 65 kilometres (40 mi) north-east of Stratford and 55 kilometres (34 mi) south-west of Ōhura. By rail it is 61 kilometres (38 mi) from Stratford on the Stratford-Okahukura railway line.

Demographics

Whangamōmona statistical area covers 689.60 km² (266.26 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 140 as of June 2024, with a population density of 0.20 people per km².

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	168	—
2013	150	−1.61%
2018	126	−3.43%
Source:

Whangamōmona had a population of 126 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 24 people (−16.0%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 42 people (−25.0%) since the 2006 census.

History

Whangamomona Railway Station circa 1916

Panorama overlooking Whangamomona circa 1916

The first European settlers arrived in 1895, with the town proper established two years later. Growth of the town was seriously affected by the deaths of 51 men (including some from the smaller nearby settlements of Kohuratahi and Tahora) in the First World War and a major flood in 1924. The town recovered with arrival of the railway line in 1933 and electrification in 1959, but its population declined in subsequent decades. The school closed in 1979, followed nine years later by the post office.

In July 2020, the name of the locality was officially gazetted as Whangamōmona by the New Zealand Geographic Board.

Republic Day

In 1989, 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. Residents objected, as they wanted to continue being part of the Taranaki Region, 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.

Further reading

• Opening of the road to Aotuhia: tour of the Stratford County hill country, organised by the Stratford County and the Dept. of Land and Survey (New Plymouth), Stratford, [N.Z.]: Stratford County Council, 1985
• Church, Ian N. (1990), The Stratford inheritance: a history of Stratford and the Whangamomona counties, Waikanae, [N.Z.]: Heritage Press, ISBN 0-908708-17-3
• Garcia, James (1940), History of Whangamomona County: published by the Whangamomona Centennial Celebrations Committee as a centennial memorial and dedicated to the pioneer settlers of the district, New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: Whangamomona Centennial Celebrations Committee