# Varhaug (municipality)

Varhaug is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The 85-square-kilometre (33 sq mi) municipality existed from 1894 until 1964. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Varhaug where Varhaug Church is located. The municipality encompassed the central part of the present-day Hå Municipality. It included the villages of Varhaug and Vigrestad as well as the surrounding countryside.

## History

The municipality of Varhaug was established in 1894 when the old municipality of Hå was divided into two municipalities: Nærbø (population: 1801) and Varhaug (population: 1806). On 1 January 1964, there were many major municipal mergers in Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On that date the three neighboring municipalities of Varhaug, Nærbø, and Ogna were all merged to form the municipality of Hå. The village of Varhaug became the administrative centre for the new, larger municipality. Prior to the merger, Varhaug municipality had a population of 3,454.

### Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Varhaug farm (Old Norse: Varhaugr) since the first Varhaug Church was built there. The first element is likely the word vǫr which means "row of stones" (such as a stone jetty) or "pile of stones" (such as after a landslide). The last element is haugr which means "burial mound" or "cairn".

## 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 directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.

### Municipal council

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Varhaug was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the final municipal council was as follows:
Varhaug herredsstyre 1960–1963 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 1 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 16 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 17 |
Varhaug herredsstyre 1956–1959 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 4 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 13 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 17 |
Varhaug herredsstyre 1952–1955 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 3 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 13 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 16 |
Varhaug herredsstyre 1948–1951 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 16 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 16 |
Varhaug herredsstyre 1945–1947 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) | 1 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 15 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 16 |
Varhaug herredsstyre 1938–1941* :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 4 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 12 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 16 |
| 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. |||