Velfjord

Velfjord is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. The 600-square-kilometre (230 sq mi) municipality existed from 1875 until its dissolution in 1964. Velfjord municipality was centered around the Velfjorden in what is now Brønnøy Municipality. Most of the municipality is located on the mainland, but it also includes nearly 100 small islands, islet, and skjerries. The administrative centre was the village of Hommelstø at the innermost part of the fjord. Velfjord Church lies just west of Hommelstø.[2][3]

For the fjord in Brønnøy and Vevelstad, Norway, see Velfjorden.
Velfjord herred
Former municipality
View of the Sørfjorden arm of the Velfjorden
View of the Sørfjorden arm of the Velfjorden
Official logo of Velfjord herred
Nordland within
Norway
Velfjord within Nordland
Velfjord within Nordland
Coordinates: 65°24′17″N 12°31′19″E
CountryNorway
CountyNordland
DistrictHelgeland
Established1 Oct 1875
 • Preceded byBrønnøy Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byBrønnøy Municipality
Administrative centreHommelstø
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total600 km2 (200 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total1,380
 • Density2.3/km2 (6.0/sq mi)
DemonymVelfjording[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1813
Data from Statistics Norway

History

The municipality of Velfjord was created on 1 October 1875 when the large Brønnøy Municipality was divided into Brønnøy (in the west) and Velfjord (in the east). Initially, Velfjord had a population of 1,162. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Velfjord Municipality (population: 1,380) was merged with the town of Brønnøysund (population: 2,064), Sømna Municipality (population: 2,347), Brønnøy Municipality (population: 2,635), and the Lande area of Bindal Municipality to form a new, enlarged Brønnøy Municipality.[4]

Name

The municipality is named after the local Velfjorden which is a central geographical feature for the municipality. The first element is likely the old name for the fjord velli which has an unknown meaning. The last element is fjord which means "fjord". Historically, the name was also spelled Velfjorden.[5]

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elected a mayor.[6]

Municipal council

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Velfjord was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

Velfjord herredsstyre 1960–1963 [7]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 5
Total number of members:13
Velfjord herredsstyre 1956–1959 [8]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 1
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 2
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:13
Velfjord herredsstyre 1952–1955 [9]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 6
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 6
Total number of members:12
Velfjord herredsstyre 1948–1951 [10]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 12
Total number of members:12
Velfjord herredsstyre 1945–1947 [11]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 5
  Communist Party (Kommunistiske Parti) 3
  Local List(s) (Lokale lister) 4
Total number of members:12
Velfjord herredsstyre 1938–1941* [12]  
Party Name (in Norwegian)Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 8
  Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) 4
Total number of members:12
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.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. Thorsnæs, Geir, ed. (2 May 2016). "Velfjord – tidligere kommune". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. Helland, Amund (1908). "Velfjorden herred". Norges land og folk: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian). Vol. XVIII. Kristiania, Norway: H. Aschehoug & Company. p. 153. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. Jukvam, Dag (1999). "Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  5. Rygh, Oluf (1905). Norske gaardnavne: Nordlands amt (in Norwegian) (16 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 39.
  6. Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  8. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  9. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  10. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

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