Valestrand

The municipality of Valestrand was established on 15 May 1868 when the southern district of the large municipality of Stord (south of the Bømlafjorden) was separated from the rest of Stord to become its own municipality. Initially, Valestrand had a population of 900. On 1 April 1870, the Øklandsgrend area (population: 247) of the neighboring municipality of Finnås was transferred to Valestrand. On 1 January 1964, a major municipal merger took place as a result of the Schei Committee. The municipalities of Sveio (population: 1,697) and Valestrand (population: 1,216) were merged with the western part of the municipality of Vikebygd (population: 471) and a small portion of the northern part of the municipality of Skjold (population: 24), both located north and west of the Ålfjorden. The new municipality was called Sveio. The small portion from Skjold municipality was in Rogaland county, and after the merger it switched to Hordaland county.{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |year=1999 |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=no |isbn=9788253746845}}

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Valen farm ({{langx|non|Vaðlar}}) since the first Valestrand Church was built there. The first element is the plural genitive case of {{wikt-lang|non|vaðill}} which means "ford" or "shallow water". The last element, {{lang|no|strand}}, was added as a suffix to the farm name. It was derived from the word {{wikt-lang|non|strǫnd}} which means "shore" or "beach".{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ud5LAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Søndre Bergenhus amt |date=1910 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=11 |location=Kristiania, Norge |pages=116 and 83 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}

During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=kommunestyre |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |url=https://snl.no/kommunestyre |access-date=2023-01-01 |date=2022-09-20 |editor-last=Hansen |editor-first=Tore |language=no |editor2-last=Vabo |editor2-first=Signy Irene}}

The municipal council {{lang|no|(Heradsstyre)}} of Valestrand was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four-year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:

{{div col}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1960

|end = 1963

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xii_022.pdf |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |location=Oslo}}

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 13

|Arbeiderpartiet = 2

|Local_Lists = 11

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1956

|end = 1959

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1957 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_252.pdf |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |location=Oslo}}

|nynorsk = yes

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 13

|Arbeiderpartiet = 3

|Local_Lists = 10

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1952

|end = 1955

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1952 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_xi_120.pdf |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |location=Oslo}}

|nynorsk = yes

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 12

|Arbeiderpartiet = 2

|Local_Lists = 10

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1948

|end = 1951

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_165.pdf |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |location=Oslo}}

|nynorsk = yes

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 12

|Arbeiderpartiet = 4

|Local_Lists = 8

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1945

|end = 1947

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1947 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_x_133.pdf |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |location=Oslo}}

|nynorsk = yes

|collapsed = yes

|Total = 12

|AFS = 3

|Local_Lists = 9

|}}

{{Kommunestyre table

|name = Valestrand

|herad = yes

|start = 1938

|end = 1941*

|reference ={{Cite web |date=1938 |title=Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937 |url=https://www.ssb.no/a/histstat/nos/nos_ix_133.pdf |access-date=2020-05-16 |publisher=Statistisk sentralbyrå |language=Norwegian |location=Oslo}}

|collapsed = yes

|nynorsk = yes

|Total = 12

|Local_Lists = 12

|}}

{{div col end}}

• Einar Økland, a poet, playwright, essayist and children's writer{{Cite web |title=Valestrand cultural church |url=http://www.visitnorway.com/uk/product/?pid=105017 |access-date=10 July 2015 |website=www.visitnorway.com |publisher=Innovation Norway}}
• Fartein Valen, a composer and music theorist
• Agnes Ravatn, an author, columnist, and journalist
• Ole Bull, a violinist and composer

• List of former municipalities of Norway

{{reflist}}

{{Vestland}}

{{Authority control}}

{{use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

Category:Sveio

Category:Former municipalities of Norway

Category:1868 establishments in Norway

Category:1964 disestablishments in Norway