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West Coast-made Lego, Toro (Torro?)
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DescriptionWest Coast-made Lego, Toro
From You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB0JrzvLubg
TORRO was made by PDL (yes the same company that made most of New Zealand's light switches, appliance plugs and wall outlets). Some of it at least, was made in WESTPORT a small town on the South Island's remote WEST COAST (a largely un-inhabited area, with some coal mining and dairy farming). Torro made a series of plastic bricks which were compatible with LEGO. Torro also made a plastic engineering/construction set. In a similar vein to MECCANO but much larger. One advantage of TORRO was that the bricks and the engineering set components could be fitted together. Wheels and sprockets had some knobs on them which bricks could fit onto. Also, extra little add-on "pips" were available which would allow the bricks to be attached directly to the plastic "girders" (yellow in this video). However I have zero of the "pips" as they were rare even back in the 1970's, available ONLY by buying expansion accessory kits, and being about as large as a grain of rice they have all become lost over the years. "Fantastics" (not sure of spelling) were apparently also a TORRO product, perhaps sometime later. As the bottom of the box I have, refers to them as being made by REGENT plastics and does not mention PDL. I remember TORRO products being still available in toy stores around the mid to late 1970's. Keep in mind that NZ is it the very end of very long supply chains. Previously there were strict laws regarding foreign exchange availability and importing goods. So this may have contributed to the reasoning behind NZ manufacturing it's own version of LEGO and MECCANO style of products. ...
...I have found some more information on a Christchurch City Council website. I'm not sure how long the link may be active so will include and excerpt of it here, and a link to the library article at the very bottom.
QUOTE BEGINS... Plastics and PDL
During the Second World War (Robertson) Stewart worked on producing many plastic moulded pieces for aircraft and other items for the war effort. He served in the Home Guard, reaching the rank of sergeant.
In 1947 Stewart started his own plastics company, which failed, and he eventually took a position with Plastics and Diecasting Ltd, owned by Harry Vale.2.
Vale offered the company to Stewart in 1957 for £195,000, and Stewart took ownership in November of that year, renaming the company PDL Industries Ltd. PDL became a leading exporter of electrical equipment from its Christchurch head office, making plastic and electrical components that can be found in most New Zealand homes.
Offshore trade missions started in the 1960s, firstly to the Pacific Islands including Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti then later South East Asia. Trade missions continued throughout the 1970s, focusing on the exporting of New Zealand goods.
PDL became a public company in 1973. 3. Between 1947 and 1988 PDL rapidly expanded, and it bought, amalgamated, or otherwise took over 28 companies. A Malaysian factory was opened on 1 November 1967 to make plugs, sockets, circuit breakers and other accessories.4. Another successful venture was Torro Toys, a plastic-block based construction and building system. It was based in Westport. QUOTE ENDS
Robertson Stewart, was born in 1913 and received a Knighthood in 1979 and passed away in 2007.
Map[1] ContributorAdam Williamson
From You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB0JrzvLubg
TORRO was made by PDL (yes the same company that made most of New Zealand's light switches, appliance plugs and wall outlets). Some of it at least, was made in WESTPORT a small town on the South Island's remote WEST COAST (a largely un-inhabited area, with some coal mining and dairy farming). Torro made a series of plastic bricks which were compatible with LEGO. Torro also made a plastic engineering/construction set. In a similar vein to MECCANO but much larger. One advantage of TORRO was that the bricks and the engineering set components could be fitted together. Wheels and sprockets had some knobs on them which bricks could fit onto. Also, extra little add-on "pips" were available which would allow the bricks to be attached directly to the plastic "girders" (yellow in this video). However I have zero of the "pips" as they were rare even back in the 1970's, available ONLY by buying expansion accessory kits, and being about as large as a grain of rice they have all become lost over the years. "Fantastics" (not sure of spelling) were apparently also a TORRO product, perhaps sometime later. As the bottom of the box I have, refers to them as being made by REGENT plastics and does not mention PDL. I remember TORRO products being still available in toy stores around the mid to late 1970's. Keep in mind that NZ is it the very end of very long supply chains. Previously there were strict laws regarding foreign exchange availability and importing goods. So this may have contributed to the reasoning behind NZ manufacturing it's own version of LEGO and MECCANO style of products. ...
...I have found some more information on a Christchurch City Council website. I'm not sure how long the link may be active so will include and excerpt of it here, and a link to the library article at the very bottom.
QUOTE BEGINS... Plastics and PDL
During the Second World War (Robertson) Stewart worked on producing many plastic moulded pieces for aircraft and other items for the war effort. He served in the Home Guard, reaching the rank of sergeant.
In 1947 Stewart started his own plastics company, which failed, and he eventually took a position with Plastics and Diecasting Ltd, owned by Harry Vale.2.
Vale offered the company to Stewart in 1957 for £195,000, and Stewart took ownership in November of that year, renaming the company PDL Industries Ltd. PDL became a leading exporter of electrical equipment from its Christchurch head office, making plastic and electrical components that can be found in most New Zealand homes.
Offshore trade missions started in the 1960s, firstly to the Pacific Islands including Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti then later South East Asia. Trade missions continued throughout the 1970s, focusing on the exporting of New Zealand goods.
PDL became a public company in 1973. 3. Between 1947 and 1988 PDL rapidly expanded, and it bought, amalgamated, or otherwise took over 28 companies. A Malaysian factory was opened on 1 November 1967 to make plugs, sockets, circuit breakers and other accessories.4. Another successful venture was Torro Toys, a plastic-block based construction and building system. It was based in Westport. QUOTE ENDS
Robertson Stewart, was born in 1913 and received a Knighthood in 1979 and passed away in 2007.
Map[1] ContributorAdam Williamson
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LinkFacebookDate Created10th November 2017CommentsComments
Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Great. Can you do the same with the Coast made ones
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Jason Mather
Jason Mather Ive still got these for my daughter
Like · Reply · 1 · 5 hrs
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Adam Williams
Adam Williams I still have mine,it was called Toro.
Like · Reply · 5 · 5 hrs
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Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Can you post a photo for comparison Adam Williams
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Adam Williams
Adam Williams Yeah I will have to have a hunt around its here somewhere in a plastic whitem bucket.
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Adam Williams
Adam Williams Here it is
Image may contain: food
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Laura Mills Detlaff
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Jennifer Griffin
Jennifer Griffin Didn't Robert use to play with them too
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Donald Hibbs
Donald Hibbs Toro,it used to come in a big white bucket
Like · Reply · 2 · 4 hrs
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Ann Knipe
Ann Knipe Definitely Torro. We have a bucket of them to. Bought them for my boys in the 1980's.
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Lisa Taylor
Lisa Taylor Torro we had it as kids and i'm sure it came from PDL
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Arthur Bass
Arthur Bass Looks like you had a kitten or a pup Dorothy, or a chewer kid.
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Michael Minchin
Michael Minchin Yep Toro, still have it in the bucket though the lid is broken, my mum's aunt from Westport gave them to me at a very young age......late 70s maybe
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Dorothy Wills
Dorothy Wills Have been many children played with them probably some got chewed usually if they wouldn’t fit together they got grown out but probably some got missed
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Clare McDonnell
Clare McDonnell Toro that's it...was it made in Westport???
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Susan Bonanno
Susan Bonanno My sister and I grew up with these, still have them, we too have chew marks on ours
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Yvonne Hart
Yvonne Hart Mine do also
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Laura Mills Detlaff
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Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Wasnt there wooden products made in the Regent too
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Geoffrey King
Geoffrey King yes made great chopping boards had a rope handle with a drain around the outside to catch the juices etc came in funky colours and we sold oodles of them in the gift shop
Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs
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Lynn Edwards
Lynn Edwards Something to do with Meates. Everyone in my family got a rope handle chopping board
Maureen McCrimmon Don't know what it was called in Grey, but Westport had the PDL factory and they made lots of plastic stuff including g Lego look alike blocks. Mum worked there and a big bag cost $2 from memory
Like · Reply · 1 · 6 hrs
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Jason Mather
Jason Mather I used to live directly across the road from PDL'S main doors in Westport when i was a teenager many moons ago
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· Reply · 5 hrs
Paul Reynolds Torro were made by Matai Industries in Westport. A company owned by the Meates family of Christchurch and grub steaked by the taxpayer under the guise of ‘regional development funding’. Norm Kirk was a personal friend of the Meates brothers. An MP of the opposition party at the time had to be a director on Matai’s board to try and keep them honest. That MP was Rob Muldoon. The company eventually went bust and was purchased by PDL who may have kept making the blocks.
Like · Reply · 4 · 19 hrs · Edited
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Angela Carlyle-garing
Angela Carlyle-garing Yes it was made at PDL in Westport. I worked there when I left school .
Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Great. Can you do the same with the Coast made ones
Like · Reply · 5 hrs
Manage
Jason Mather
Jason Mather Ive still got these for my daughter
Like · Reply · 1 · 5 hrs
Manage
Adam Williams
Adam Williams I still have mine,it was called Toro.
Like · Reply · 5 · 5 hrs
Manage
Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Can you post a photo for comparison Adam Williams
Like · Reply · 5 hrs
Manage
Adam Williams
Adam Williams Yeah I will have to have a hunt around its here somewhere in a plastic whitem bucket.
Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs
Manage
Adam Williams
Adam Williams Here it is
Image may contain: food
Like · Reply · 3 hrs
Manage
View more replies
Laura Mills Detlaff
Write a reply...
Choose File
Jennifer Griffin
Jennifer Griffin Didn't Robert use to play with them too
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Donald Hibbs
Donald Hibbs Toro,it used to come in a big white bucket
Like · Reply · 2 · 4 hrs
Manage
Ann Knipe
Ann Knipe Definitely Torro. We have a bucket of them to. Bought them for my boys in the 1980's.
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Lisa Taylor
Lisa Taylor Torro we had it as kids and i'm sure it came from PDL
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Arthur Bass
Arthur Bass Looks like you had a kitten or a pup Dorothy, or a chewer kid.
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Michael Minchin
Michael Minchin Yep Toro, still have it in the bucket though the lid is broken, my mum's aunt from Westport gave them to me at a very young age......late 70s maybe
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Dorothy Wills
Dorothy Wills Have been many children played with them probably some got chewed usually if they wouldn’t fit together they got grown out but probably some got missed
Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs
Manage
Clare McDonnell
Clare McDonnell Toro that's it...was it made in Westport???
Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs
Manage
Susan Bonanno
Susan Bonanno My sister and I grew up with these, still have them, we too have chew marks on ours
Like · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs
Manage
Yvonne Hart
Yvonne Hart Mine do also
Like · Reply · 2 hrs
Manage
Laura Mills Detlaff
Write a reply...
Choose File
Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin Wasnt there wooden products made in the Regent too
Like · Reply · 4 hrs
Manage
Geoffrey King
Geoffrey King yes made great chopping boards had a rope handle with a drain around the outside to catch the juices etc came in funky colours and we sold oodles of them in the gift shop
Like · Reply · 1 · 3 hrs
Manage
Lynn Edwards
Lynn Edwards Something to do with Meates. Everyone in my family got a rope handle chopping board
Maureen McCrimmon Don't know what it was called in Grey, but Westport had the PDL factory and they made lots of plastic stuff including g Lego look alike blocks. Mum worked there and a big bag cost $2 from memory
Like · Reply · 1 · 6 hrs
Manage
Jason Mather
Jason Mather I used to live directly across the road from PDL'S main doors in Westport when i was a teenager many moons ago
Like
Like
Love
Haha
Wow
Sad
Angry
· Reply · 5 hrs
Paul Reynolds Torro were made by Matai Industries in Westport. A company owned by the Meates family of Christchurch and grub steaked by the taxpayer under the guise of ‘regional development funding’. Norm Kirk was a personal friend of the Meates brothers. An MP of the opposition party at the time had to be a director on Matai’s board to try and keep them honest. That MP was Rob Muldoon. The company eventually went bust and was purchased by PDL who may have kept making the blocks.
Like · Reply · 4 · 19 hrs · Edited
Manage
Angela Carlyle-garing
Angela Carlyle-garing Yes it was made at PDL in Westport. I worked there when I left school .
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West Coast New Zealand History (11th Nov 2017). West Coast-made Lego, Toro (Torro?). In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 8th Nov 2025 13:39, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/22346