Koromiko Station opened, like the other small stations on this line, in November of 1875. It was closed July 1978. 'Koromiko' is the Māori name of the hebe, a native shrub, of which quite a number grew here. Until Koromiko Primary School was established in 1945, children traveled by train to Tua Marina (and before the train, by horseback). The school was closed in 2012. As there was a primary school on the main road here, perhaps this is the place to tell you of the school trains.
In March 1890 Marlborough High School was established. It was renamed to Marlborough College in 1919 and then to Marlborough Boys' College in 1963. This lead to the advent of the School Train in 1905 which ran till 1964 when Queen Charlotte College was established in Picton. Through most of that period the Picton school train carried about 150 students, of which about half traveled the whole way. Train pupils had a long day. Although they arrived about half way through the first class, and were let off early to catch the train back, the trip to and from Picton took an hour. For many there was still a half hour walk from home to the station. The slow train was always a contention - on 25 May 1952 the Headmaster, Mr Insull, wrote that one student just missed the train at Picton but hopped back on his bike and managed to catch it at here at Koromiko!
The train cars were unheated and uninsulated, very cold in winter and very hot in summer. Alas opening the windows was often not an option as the smell from the sheep cars in front was intolerable, even when the boys threw stink bombs into the girls car. The cars had one long seat on each side facing in to a wide aisle. The girls often used the space to practice dancing - the waltz, the lancers, Albert's and the two step. The boys might play cricket with a tennis ball, or football using a rolled up sock. And a lot of cards - euchre and five hundred. Segregation was strict - one girl was suspended for smoking on the train but everyone knew that the real reason was because she was found in the boys' carriage. The girls were generally well behaved, however the boys were constantly up to mischief.
Third form boys (year 7) on about their third day had to endure a gauntlet, at first running but latter crawling the length of the carriage while pelted with rubber peaked school caps, shoes, shoelaces and belts. Later they were passed out one window and into another while the train was crossing a bridge. Apple fights and apple cores tossed at the train guards were assisted by an apple tree growing beside the Spring Creek water tower and (from 1950 on) by the Apple Depot there donating apples to students from damaged cases. If there were gangers working under the bridges the flushing of the toilets became a carefully timed operation (the gangers did get their own back). The students found that threepenny and sixpence coins could be used as screwdrivers and competitions where held for speed at stripping and replacing the seating and paneling from the carriage.
The ultimate, says Gordon Irving of the 1945-50 era, was probably the day the senior boys unhooked the back three carriages from the rest of the train and by skillful application of the old wheel-driven brakes and lots of arm signals, we coaxed the 'train' back down to the station. We passed Picton Station with the entire staff, stationmaster and, I think, some firemen, then carried on politely to the big wharf. Whereupon the 'Train' was stopped and, when all the officials turned up, not a single pupil was to be seen!
Unlike many of the stations along this route, there are quite a bit of remains here. Through the broom on the other side of the fence from the cache you can see a small good shed, still sitting on part of the goods platform. From the gate you can see the goat sheds on what remains of the passenger platform on the other side of the rail line. The Rural Fire Station here stands on the old site of the Koromiko Community Hall, which was demolished in 1990.
Tracks are for trains. Do not go through the gate!
Koromiko Station
References:
Scoble, J: "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations,"published by the Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand, 2010
Berry, K: "Tales from the Train", published by Marlborough Boys' and Girls' Colleges, 2000
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