Kvernes Municipality
Kvernes is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1964. Originally, it encompassed the whole island of Averøya, part of the Romsdal peninsula, part of the island of Nordlandet, and part of the island of Frei. Over time it gradually got smaller until 1964, when the municipality was merged into Averøy Municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Kvernes where Kvernes Stave Church and the Kvernes Church are both located.
Prior to its dissolution in 1964, the municipality was the 608th largest by area out of the 689 municipalities in Norway. Kvernes Municipality was the 657th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about 699. The municipality's population density was and its population had decreased by 7.7% over the previous 10-year period.
General information
The municipality of Kværnes was established on 1 January 1838. According to the 1835 census, the municipality initially had a population of about 3,754. On 1 January 1878, a small area in the western part of Bud Municipality was transferred to Kvernes Municipality. Then again on 1 January 1891, the Bollien farm was transferred from Bud Municipality to Kvernes Municipality. On 1 September 1893, parts of Kvernes Municipality along with parts of Frei Municipality and Øre Municipality were used to create the new Gjemnes Municipality.On 1 January 1897, the large Kvernes Municipality was divided into four new municipalities: Eide Municipality in the west, Kornstad Municipality in the central part, Bremsnes Municipality in the north, and Kvernes Municipality in the southeast. On 8 July 1903, an uninhabited area of Bremsnes Municipality was transferred over to Kvernes Municipality.
During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Kvernes Municipality was merged with most of Kornstad Municipality, and Bremsnes Municipality to create the new Averøy Municipality.
Name
The municipality is named after the old Kvernes farm since the first Kvernes Church was built there. The first element is which means "turn", "swing", or "disappear out of sight". The last element is which means "headland". The name is likely referring to the fact that this place is located on a headland on the southeast part of the island of Averøya, where the fjord takes a roughly ninety-degree turn as it passes around the island.Churches
The Church of Norway had one parish within Kvernes Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Kvernes prestegjeld and the Ytre Nordmøre prosti in the Diocese of Nidaros.| Parish | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Kvernes | Kvernes Church | Kvernes | 1893 |
| Kvernes | Kvernes Stave Church | Kvernes | c. 1300s |
Geography
The municipality was located on the southeastern coast of the island of Averøya, along the Kvernesfjorden. Bremsnes Municipality was located to the north, Frei Municipality was to the east, Gjemnes Municipality was to the south, and Kornstad Municipality was to the west. The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Mekknøken, on the border with Bremsnes Municipality.Government
While it existed, Kvernes Municipality was responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Frostating Court of Appeal.Municipal council
The municipal council of Kvernes Municipality was made up of 13 representatives that were elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.Mayors
The mayor of Kvernes Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:- 1869–1883: Ole Lie
- 1883–1896: Jakob Løvø
- 1897–1913: Jakob L. Mork
- 1914–1922: Jens Lie
- 1923–1945: Lars J. Mork
- 1946–1951: Magnar Rugset
- 1951–1959: Arne T. Avset
- 1959–1964: Kristian H. Strand