Kumara is a town on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

It is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Greymouth, close to the western end of State Highway 73, which leads across Arthur's Pass to Christchurch.

The name may come from the Māori language Kohe mara, which is the blossom of the tātarāmoa, or bush lawyer.

In 1925, the manager of Pearns Hotel in Kumara was charged by police after she refused to supply accommodation to two visiting temperance lecturers.

In June 2009, the last remaining pub, the Empire Hotel, had its licence cancelled by the Liquor Licensing Authority.

[14] In November 2012 the Theatre Royal Hotel reopened as the only pub serving Kumara, and in November 2013 the West Coast Wilderness Trail cycleway running from Greymouth to Ross was officially opened with a ceremony in Kumara.

[15] Kumara is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers 2.69 km2 (1.04 sq mi).

The pool was built during the 1930s depression when mining activity and the population of the area had both declined.

Water for the pool was conveyed 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the Dillmanstown Kapitea Reservoir using old iron pipes recovered from historic sluicing schemes.

The pool was originally part of a sports complex for the township including a basketball court and a cricket pitch.

The pool is no longer in use but the area has been registered with Heritage New Zealand as a Category 2 listed place.