Tokoroa

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Since 1998, Tokoroa has been "sprouting" Talking Poles, consisting mainly of carvings representing the many cultures in the town. This one, photographed shortly after its unveiling in 2004, is a chainsaw carving of an old tree which had suffered extensive damage from a storm and died. It is representative of the Greenman in Welsh mythology and is located on State Highway 1, immediately adjacent to the town's information centre.
Since 1998, Tokoroa has been "sprouting" Talking Poles, consisting mainly of carvings representing the many cultures in the town. This one, photographed shortly after its unveiling in 2004, is a chainsaw carving of an old tree which had suffered extensive damage from a storm and died. It is representative of the Greenman in Welsh mythology and is located on State Highway 1, immediately adjacent to the town's information centre.

Tokoroa is the third largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One. Its 2006 census population was 15,063, virtually unchanged from the 1996 figure of 15,096. Other notable South Waikato settlements are Putaruru, Tirau and Arapuni.

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[edit] History

[edit] Early history

It is traditionally recorded that one of the great fighting chiefs of the Ngati Kahupungapunga, Tokoroa by name, was slain by Ngati Raukawa during the siege of Pohuturoa, a high rocky eminence 27km south of Tokoroa on the main Taupo highway. It is probable that some early surveyor applied the name Tokoroa as a tribute to the old chief's memory. The name 'Tokoroa' first appeared on the early maps of the 1860's.

[edit] Growth

Tokoroa is one of the most recent towns in New Zealand history. It first developed around 1948, as a residential satellite for Kinleith Mill, 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 time NZFP began to downscale its operations at Kinleith in the early 1980's, Tokoroa had a population of 18,000 - just 2,000 below the number necessary to be proclaimed a city. In recent years however, the downscaling at Kinleith and in other industries has resulted in a drop in population, and only 14,175 people resided in Tokoroa as of 2001.

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

Surrounding the township are many dairy farms and plantation forests. There are many scenic reserves around the town - the artificial lake 'Moana-Nui' (formed by damming the Matarawa Stream) lies within a popular recreational park. The lake has many ducks and contains much weed (partially due to its shallowness). Signs have been put up warning people not to swim in the water due to health concerns.

The town's location in the centre of the central North Island and its developed transportation network provide plenty of potential for warehousing and distribution. Tokoroa lies in the centre of a triangle made up of the popular tourism destinations of Rotorua, Waitomo and Taupo. There are about forty five lakes within a forty-five minute drive of Tokoroa.

One can travel to four major centres, each less than a one hour drive:

[edit] Township

As well as the central business district, the township is made up of many subdivisions, each built in different stages of the Kinleith complex's development. These subdivisions are:

  • Parkdale
  • Paraonui
  • Papanui
  • Matarawa
  • Aotea
  • Strathmore
  • Amisfield

Many of the street names of the town were named by the first managing director of N.Z. Forest Products Ltd.(builders of the Kinleith mill), Sir David Henry (1888-1963), after places near his home town of Edinburgh, in Scotland. There is even a Sir David Henry primary school.

[edit] Secondary education facilities

Tokoroa has two high schools: Tokoroa High School and Forest View High School.

[edit] Industries

The main industries that support Tokoroa are forestry, centred on Kinleith Mill, and dairy farming. Recently, due to an increase in dairy prices, much of the surrounding forest is being converted into farmland.

[edit] Radio stations

There are two local radio stations in Tokoroa: Classic Hits Radio Forestland and Raukawa FM.

[edit] Graffiti and tagging

There is an anti-graffiti organisation in Tokoroa called South Waikato Safer Community Council (SWSCC). This community group has an 0800NOTAGS policy in place that responds to graffiti (tagging). A three pronged approach is used that is Pro-active, Re-active and Punitive in its strategy. Graffiti is an accepted form of art and is promoted under the Pro-active strategy.

[edit] People

Tokoroa is a multicultural town, with about 35% of the population being Maori and another 20% 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.

[edit] Notable past residents

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 38°14′S, 175°52′E

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