Grootegast

Grootegast () is a village and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019.
Geography.
The former municipality contained the population centres: Doezum, Enumatil, Faan, Grootegast, Kornhorn, Lutjegast, Niekerk, Oldekerk, Opende, Sebaldeburen. In some of these villages they still speak the West Frisian language.
The village of Grootegast.
Grootegast was the main village of the former municipality. The name of the village refers to a 'gast' or 'gaast', a higher, sandy ridge in an otherwise swampy area. "Groot" is Dutch for 'large'.
Grootegast is the birthplace of the theologian Cornelius Van Til.
Lutjegast.
Lutjegast is a village in the former municipality of Grootegast. In the Groningen dialect of Low German 'Lutje' means small or little.
Lutjegast was the birthplace of the explorer Abel Tasman. Although the house of his birth no longer exists, he is memorialised with a monument, plaque and street name.
Until 1829 a mansion named Rikkerdaborg stood in Lutjegast.