Whangamōmona

In 1989, changes to regional council boundaries placed Whangamōmona within the Manawatū-Whanganui Region rather than Taranaki. Locals objected to the change and, on 1 November 1989, famously declared the Republic of Whangamōmona.

What began as a light-hearted protest has become one of the area’s best-known traditions. Republic Day is now held biennially in January, featuring the election of the Republic’s President and attracting thousands of visitors at its peak. Visitors can even have their passport stamped at the historic hotel for a gold coin donation.

The wider area is shaped by numerous rivers and tributaries, including the Whangamōmona and Tangarakau Rivers, which eventually feed into the Whanganui River. The densely forested Whangamōmona Saddle further adds to the area’s remote and distinctive character.

Despite its isolation, the community retains local education, with Marco School, a small co-educational rural school catering for students from Years 1-8.

History: The first settlers arrived in 1895, with the town proper established some 2 years later. 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 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 9 years later by the post office.

Sections became available at Whangamōmona in 1897–98. A boarding house and a general store were established and a post office and other services followed. The present hotel is a 1911 replacement of the original, which burned down in 1905.

The Whangamōmona County Council was set up in 1908. In 1955 it amalgamated with Stratford County. In the second half of the 20th century all the communities in the valley gradually declined. The school was closed in 1979 and the post office in 1988.