Norsewood

Norsewood

Norsewood is a small rural town in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand's North Island. The town is situated east of the Ruahine Mountain range and is located 20 kilometres northeast of Dannevirke. Norsewood was founded by mainly Norwegian settlers in 1872 as a loggers settlement [1] and was subsequently destroyed in a fire in 1888.[2]

It is a small village with a total population of around 300 as of 2017. The government of New Zealand requested Norwegian immigrants and made an agreement with Winge & Co. in Christiania, which would allow for 3,000 emigrants to New Zealand. In the years 1870-76, nearly 1,000 Norwegians moved to the Norsewood area.[3]

It is a hilltop village located approximately 85 km south of Hastings. Originally settled by Norwegian immigrants, the city retains a Scandinavian tenor. The village was carved out of the forest, and experienced a major town fire in 1888.[4]

Townscape

Stave church replica on Coronation Street.

The village consists of two parts. Upper Norsewood (Coronation Street) mainly consists of the town’s main road which is located near a glassed-in boathouse known as Bindalsfaering, a gift from the Norwegian government. Also located here is The Barn gift shop, a visitor’s centre and the Pioneer Museum, which is housed in an 1888 structure. Lower Norsewood is 1 km to the south and mainly strung around Hovding Street. This part of town houses Norsewear, a company which is famed for its woolen garments in Norwegian designs.[5] Upper and Lower Norsewood lie on either side of State Highway 2 in Tararua District, approximately 20 km northeast of Dannevirke.[6]

Crown Hotel is the town’s main meeting place and home of a local pub. The town celebrates its roots with a Scandinavian festival held every year. Furthermore, the main square by Coronation Street welcomes visitors to “Little Norway”, and a Norwegian flag flies from the street’s tourist office.[7] Traditional celebrations of May 17, Norway’s Constitution Day, is held on the Sunday closest to May 17.[8]

A fishing boat, the Bindalsfaering, is displayed in a glassed boat-house in the town. It was a gift from the Norwegian government. Nearby is also a replica of a Norwegian stave church.

The town appears in the television series The Almighty Johnsons, where some of its descendants are the reincarnations of Norse gods.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Kingdom of Denmark Bilateral Relations". New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  2. ↑ "Norsewood Travel Guide". Jasons Travel Media.
  3. ↑ Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017). Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Pages 204 and 214. ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
  4. ↑ Harper, Laura and Tony Mudd (2002). The Rough Guide to New Zealand. Rough Guides. Page 479. ISBN 9781858288963.
  5. ↑ Harper, Laura and Tony Mudd (2002). The Rough Guide to New Zealand. Rough Guides. Page 479. ISBN 9781858288963.
  6. ↑ https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/92249837/welcome-to-town-the-quirky-quaint-nature-of-norsewood
  7. ↑ Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017). Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Pages 205 and 209. ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
  8. ↑ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503456&objectid=11258335
  9. ↑ "Norsewood: Footsteps of the gods". Bay of Plenty Times. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.

Coordinates: 40°04′S 176°13′E / 40.067°S 176.217°E / -40.067; 176.217

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