Toko

This article is about the Taranaki Region in New Zealand. For other uses, see Toko (disambiguation).

Toko
Coordinates: 39°20′12″S174°23′27″E / 39.33667°S 174.39083°E / -39.33667; 174.39083
Country	New Zealand
Region	Taranaki
District	Stratford District
Ward	Rural

Last gas for 150km

Toko is a small rural settlement 10 kilometres east of Stratford, New Zealand, at the intersection of East Road (State Highway 43) and Toko Road. It is located on a railway, the Stratford–Okahukura Line, the western portion of which was operated as a branch line known as the Toko Branch prior to the line's completion. The Toko Stream flows through the area to join the Pātea River. ^{[1] [2]}

Geography

Toko is surrounded by extremely fertile land, being located on the periphery of the Taranaki ringplain and adjacent to the Pātea River. The area is drained by the Toko Stream, and its tributaries the Manawaiwiri and Waiwiri Streams. Once covered in wetlands, since settlement the area has been drained to take advantage of the fertile soils. Dairy farming predominates the surrounding land use, with some sheep and beef farming in the steeper hill country.

History

Toko was established in the 1890s, and served as an important centre for the developing hinterland. The settlement took on the nature of a village, containing a railway station, a dairy factory, a church, a hall, a hotel, a sawmill, a trucking depot, a playcentre, a sports facility, and a number of other businesses and numerous dwellings. Toko School was established in 1893, and located on a site approximately 2 km east of Toko at the intersection of East Road and Wawiri Road.

Like other rural centres, Toko went into decline in the latter part of the 20th century. The railway station, dairy factory and sawmill all closed. However the factory buildings are now used for an engineering business, and the church, hall, domain, hotel, trucking depot, and an automotive workshop are still being used for business and social activities.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	1,263	—
2013	1,272	+0.10%
2018	1,350	+1.20%
Source: [3]

The Toko statistical area, which covers 228.45 km² (88.21 sq mi), ^[4] had a population of 1,350 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 78 people (6.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 87 people (6.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 510 households. There were 702 males and 648 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 38.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 303 people (22.4%) aged under 15 years, 234 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 669 (49.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 144 (10.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 95.3% European/Pākehā, 7.3% Māori, 1.1% Pacific peoples, 1.3% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 8.4%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 49.3% had no religion, 38.7% were Christian, 0.4% were Hindu and 1.3% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 108 (10.3%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 288 (27.5%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 636 (60.7%) people were employed full-time, 174 (16.6%) were part-time, and 21 (2.0%) were unemployed. ^[3]

Born in Toko

• Jack Walter, All Black and Taranaki rugby football representative
• Toss Woollaston, New Zealand painter (1910–1998)
• Brian Smith, jazz musician (1939 - )

Other notable residents

• Sylvia Ashton-Warner, (as a child) New Zealand writer, poet and educator

Education

Toko School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 140 students as of November 2021. ^{[5] [6]} The school was founded in 1893. ^[7]

Notes

1. Peter Dowling, ed. (2004), Reed New Zealand Atlas, Reed Books, pp. map 35, ISBN   0-7900-0952-8
2. Roger Smith, GeographX (2005), The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand, Robbie Burton, pp. map 85, ISBN   1-877333-20-4
3. "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Toko (220000). 2018 Census place summary: Toko
4. "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
5. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
6. Education Counts: Toko School
7. Cliff Lawrence, ed. (1993), Toko School and district centennial, 1893-1993

External links

• Toko School website

References

• Church, Ian (1990), The Stratford Inheritance. Heritage Press Ltd., Waikanae, New Zealand.

Further reading

General historical works

• Church, Ian (1990), The Stratford Inheritance, Waikanae, [N.Z.]: Heritage Press
• Lawrence, Cliff, ed. (1993), Toko School and district centennial, Stratford, [N.Z.]: The School
• Rowe, Trevor (comp.) (1968), Toko School and district 75th jubilee, 1893-1968, Toko, [N.Z.]: School Jubilee Committee
• Hood, Lynley (1998), Sylvia! The Biography of Sylvia-Ashton Warner, Dunedin, [N.Z.]: Penguin

Schools

• Lawrence, Cliff, ed. (1993), Toko School and district centennial, Stratford, [N.Z.]: The School
• Rowe, Trevor (comp.) (1968), Toko School and district 75th jubilee, 1893-1968, Toko, [N.Z.]: School Jubilee Committee

Coordinates: 39°20′S174°24′E / 39.333°S 174.400°E / -39.333; 174.400