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.

Tokomaru is best known for the Tokomaru Steam Engine Museum, a collection of antique steam engine machinery, much of it still operational and run on certain days. Highlights include 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.

Facilities in Tokomaru include a school that serves both the Primary and Intermediate Level schooling for the area. Also the town has a locally run combined dairy/post office. This combination is due to the closure of the dedicated post office building in the main township of Tokomaru.

On the outskirts of Tokomaru is two factories. One, Stevensons Construction, is still operational and employs a large number of Tokomaru residents. The other is a once abandoned Animal Pet Food Factory, once a run down shell of a building is now owned by a local businessman and is in the process of being renovated.

The Mayor of Tokomaru is Mathew "Batty" Round.

Tokomaru Domain is also home to A Bowmens Gathering, a re-enactment group whose focus is that of Archery, predominantly the longbow. Shooting at the Tokomaru Domain around four times a year, the group is composed of archers and re-enactors from all over the North Island of New Zealand from Auckland to Wellington.

Links

* [http://www.tokomarusteam.com/ Tokomaru Steam Museum website]
* [http://www.uniquelynz.com/tokomaru.htm A page on the Tokomaru Steam Museum]
* [http://www.steam.co.nz/tokomaru.html Another page on the Tokomaru Steam Museum]