Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/Week 32, 2006

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Tokoroa Talking Poles: Tree Carving.

Tokoroa is the largest settlement in the South Waikato district and is located 30 kilometres southwest of Rotorua close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges.

Tokoroa first developed around 1948, as a residential satellite for New Zealand Forest Products Limited's timber, pulp and paper mill at Kinleith, 8km south of Tokoroa. In 1948 the town could boast a population of 1100. By the early 1980's, Tokoroa had a population of 18,000. Since then the downscaling of NZFP's operations at Kinleith and reduction in other industries has resulted in a drop in population, and only 14,175 people resided in Tokoroa as of 2001.

About 35% of the population is Maori, and about another 20% is from the Pacific Islands (mainly the Cook Islands). The remaining 45% of the population is made up of people from dozens of countries around the world. Tokoroa has New Zealand's largest Pacific Island community outside of Auckland and Wellington.

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