. Toko .

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.

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

Statistics

Rural settlement 10 km east of Stratford on State Highway 43 (the ‘Forgotten World Highway’). Toko is on the edge of the Taranaki ring plain. The township was the most viable between Stratford and Taumarunui in the early 2000s

Population

Population of the Toko statistical area was 1350 in 2018 census, 1164 in the 2006 Census, unchanged from 2001. The statistical area covers a large region to the east of Stratford, not just the settlement of Toko

Weather

Average temperature 12°C
Average rainfall 1774mm

Toko.Sch

Toko School

Primary

http://www.toko.school.nz/

Toko School is a full co-educational primary years 1- 8  was established in 1893.

Toko School is a traditional country school, with a roll of approximately 121 children and a decile rating of 8.

Toko School was opened in 1893 and was little more than a room above a milking shed. The school was soon properly established on its current site 2 kilometers past the township of Toko. At one time the school was a district high school. In its history it has twice burnt down and been rebuilt. In 1953 Kota Road School amalgamated with Toko. In 1993 neighbouring Huinga School closed and the children started attending Toko. In 2006 neighbouring Douglas School also closed with fourteen children enrolling at Toko School. At the end of 2006 another Education Development Initiative occurred with the closure of Matau School and 2 additional children were enrolled!