Ostøya
Encyclopedia
Ostøya is an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 in the western section of Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....

 (Vestfjorden), within the borders of the municipality of Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....

. It is the second largest island in the Oslo basin, after Nesøya
Nesøya
Nesøya is a small island in the municipality Asker, Norway. It is linked to the mainland via a bridge.The island is known for having a number of celebrities and members of the Norwegian financial elite among its residents....

. It is adjacent to the municipal border with Asker
Asker
Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...

, where Nesøya and Brønnøya
Brønnøya
Brønnøya is an island in the western section of Oslofjord , within the borders of the municipality of Asker.-Geography:The island is just beyond the upscale suburban construction of Nesøya, reachable across the Vendelsund sound by cable ferry during the summer and a pontoon bridge in winter...

 are to its northwest and southwest, respectively. Within Bærum, Borøya is to the north, Kjeholmen to the northeast, and Grimsøya to the east. To the south is Gåsøya.

History

At some point the island was split in two. The island is named after the farm that is situated on it. The etymology of Oust, or Ost is uncertain. O. Rygh claims the etymology is unknown but that the farm derives its name from the island's original name. Others speculate that it may have an Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....

 origin related to ouste, in the sense of claiming new land.

In 1396, the (pre-Reformation) diocese in Oslo was listed as the owner of farm (then spelled Ost) and the island, and by 1557 (after the Reformation) it was owned by the crown and spelled Oust. In 1791, the owner is listed as Hans Haagensen Tveter, and his descendants still own the main farm. In accordance with practice at the time, they also took the last name Oust. They successfully petitioned the minister at Haslum church for their own gravesite, citing the distance to the church and the need to quickly bury cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...

 victims.A royal grant was given.

In 1899 a significant portion of the island (Lille Oust) was sold for recreational summer houses.

Nature reserve

Two areas of the island have been set aside as nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

s:
  • Oust naturreservat was established in 2002 and consists of 128,5 hectares,of which 5,5 hectares,is marineland.
  • Syd Oust naturreservat was established on June 27, 2008 and consists of 17 dunams (4.2 acre), of which 7 dunams (1.7 acre) is on land.

Golf and country club

Oustøen Country Club was privately established in 1965 and has about 700 members. The golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...

 originally had nine holes, but was expanded to a full 18-hole golf course in 1995. The club house is based on the main farmhouse on the Oust farm. The original farmhouse from 1791 burned to the ground in 1998, but has been restored. There is a restaurant on the premises.

Today

The island is accessible only by sea. Aside from the main farm and country club, there are a few summer residences on the island, based on former tenant farms there. The island is within the postal code for Snarøya
Snarøya
Snarøya is a populated peninsula in the inner Oslofjord in Norway. A suburb of Oslo, administratively and geographically it belongs to Bærum municipality in Akershus county. It is located south of the districts Lysaker, Lagåsen and Fornebu, and has 2,940 inhabitants.-History:Its name is derived...

.
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