Tokomaru, New Zealand
Tokomaru is a small town in the district of Horowhenua, in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It is located 18 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North, and a similar distance northeast of Shannon. The Tokomaru railway station on the North Island Main Trunk was open from 1885 to 1982.
At the 2013 census, Tokomaru had a population of 552, an increase of 36 people since the 2006 census. There were 201 occupied dwellings and 15 unoccupied dwellings.
The Tokomaru Steam Engine Museum features a collection of antique steam engine machinery, much of it still operational. The collection includes a 1904 Fowler traction engine, an 1897 Aveling & Porter portable engine and a huge 335 hp Filer & Stowell stationary engine-compressor ex the Imlay Freezing Works, Wanganui. The museum is open by appointment.
Tokomaru has two public reserves, the Tokomaru Domain, which includes a sports field and hall, and Horseshoe Bend reserve.
The town has a locally run combined store and post office.
There are two factories on the outskirts of Tokomaru. One, Stevensons Construction, is still operational and employs many Tokomaru residents. The other is a former dairy factory that is in the process of being renovated.Education
Tokomaru School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of.
