We bought our homes in Eureka, Waikato over four years ago and I always knew something special about our houses in Hinton Road. Uncle Tom Hinton as one couple through my dad’s side – Watkinson-Yates always called him ‘Uncle Tom’. My great grand uncle and aunty were Fred and Joy. Joy who she married Fred Yates and Joy was not my blood relative to our Watkinson-Yates families. Joy came from the Hinton families line dating back to 1864 in Waikato, New Zealand. Joy and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s great grandfather was Henry Hinton senior (1828-1891). Joy’s grandfather was Henry Hinton junior (1849-1935) and ‘Uncle’ Tom’s grandfather was Thomas Hinton (1860-1944). Henry junior and Thomas were brothers.
The next part is very tricky to work out how the Hinton Families related to our home. See the chart…
The story of our homes once belonged to one of the Hinton families. That was interesting as I felt a kind of connection here from the start when we were looking for a home outside Hamilton City. A bit of the story how our two houses were here before our times.
Back in the 1860s’ there was a war in Waikato – Māori, people wanted to retain their land, not for the European settlers to have the land titles and to live in. The Māori, people, lost the war and the Governor of New Zealand gave the land more than 50 acres farm section and the country section including the Hinton’s Gully to the Waikato Militia 4th Regiment. John Gordon bought the land then Ernest Melbourne Masters (not related to my Masters’ family) bought 212 hectares in Eureka in 1913. Thomas Luxton purchased the land in 1921, but it returned to Ernest Masters in 1925. To my understanding, it was the time of doing subdividing the property out of 212 hectares. Clarence E. L. Inglis and Arnold G. Powdrill bought the land in 1930. It was only the first house off the main road in the top photo before the 1930s. Then a new owner – bought it or gave the subdivided land to James R. Inglis in 1939. Then the second house built next to the first house which can be seen in the second photo. The first house listed in the record in 1949 to Charles E. Edwards, Alfred Drake and James W. Hooper while the second owners – Wesley E. Richards in 1955. From the second house – Francis John Guinness Hinton took over in 1961. Then Francis and his two sons – Ashley and Trevor Hinton in 1973.
Trevor moved out and married to one of the neighbours in Eureka. Between 1979 and 1984, there were Francis, Ashely and his wife, Glynis Hinton. There was a business called Eureka Transport Ltd, and it runs by one of the Hooper family in 1977 – to the first house. One of our homes was an ex-army Government cottage and ex-Eureka Transport Ltd before 1949. According to the Eureka Express Newsletter in 2010, Lila and Maurice Duncan were living in an ex-army Government cottage. It sounds like renting out in the first house. The chap who runs the petrol station and a small workshop – Eureka Motors and his name is Colin Duncan. His parents were Lila and Maurice Duncan. Another small world!
From the start, the first original house was not inhabited to live in when we bought the property. We decided to pull down and make the way of using woods for fire, reuse for recycled materials around home and gardens, making other gardens with fruit trees and dog runs.
We encountered another neighbour the other evening, and his wife’s maiden name was Hinton. They have got a book, and he asked me if I was interesting to have a look at the properties of Eureka and the families living in Eureka. My replied was yes and I will wait for him to come over one day.
Life in Eureka 