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Feature: Wales corner in Argentina to be recognised in Britain after 150 years

Xinhua, January 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Thousands of kilometres away from the mountains and valleys of Wales lies a community in Argentina created 150 years ago by people from the UK's land of song.

In what was one of the most intriguing adventures in maritime history, the creation of the settlement of Y Wladfa in Patagonia, Argentina, is finally to be officially recognised in the seaport of Liverpool where the journey began.

Today Y Wladfa - the name means 'The Colony' in Welsh language - is a thriving community with a population of 73,000 with 5,000 Welsh speaking Patagonians living there.

Plans were announced on Thursday to build a memorial plinth to mark the 150th anniversary this year of the voyage which started on May 28, 1865 when the sailing ship, the Mimosa, set sail from England's River Mersey.

The destination was Patagonia, and aboard where 162 people, mostly from North Wales. Their plan was to create a settlement overseas where Welsh culture could be kept and respected.

The Merseyside Welsh Heritage Society has joined forces with Peel Holdings, owners of the Port of Liverpool, to build the memorial with plans to unveil it in May.

That journey in 1865 took sixty days for the ship to arrive in Patagonia with four deaths and two child births during the voyage. Once the travellers arrived in Patagonia, the Welsh immigrants set up the community of Y Wladfa, which means 'The Colony' in Welsh. By 1915, the community had grown to 23,000.

The Mimosa voyage will be celebrated at events in May organised by the Merseyside Welsh Heritage Society, set up in 1999 to help promote the contribution of Welsh people to the heritage of neighbouring England.

Arthur Thomas, secretary of the Merseyside Welsh Heritage Society said: "It is important to promote the events of 150 years ago and help people to recognise the impact the Welsh community had in shaping Liverpool over the last two centuries.

"Liverpool's docklands have a vast history and by creating this plinth, we hope to create our own piece of history that will remain for all to see."

Port of Liverpool spokesman Ian Pollitt commented: "This is a fascinating and largely unknown episode in the city's history and we are delighted to be working with the society to mark this important anniversary and help re-tell the story to the current generation.

"The waterfront is the perfect location for the memorial and will serve as a long-term reminder of the city's role in shaping the rich diversity of the new world all those years ago."

A planning application for the memorial has been submitted by Peel and it is hoped that the plinth will be unveiled on Saturday 30th May. Endit