Gypsy Day is taking place across Aotearoa-New Zealand today. What significance does Gypsy Day hold for you?
In New Zealand, Gypsy Day on June 1 is the official Moving Day for the dairy industry. On this day, sharemilkers, contract milkers, farm staff, and their families relocate their homes, equipment, and herds to new farms for the upcoming season. This move typically occurs annually or every three years, depending on employment arrangements.
It is also commonly referred to as “Mooving Day.”
Our neighbour, who worked as a farmhand, and his wife or fiancée moved out a few days ago. He mentioned they are now living along Tahuroa Road, on the other side of Tauwhare. Their one-year stay was unusual, as previous tenants, such as a young family named Greg, lived here for nearly four years before moving to Morrinsville. The tenant before them, between 2023 and 2024, also stayed for one year. Our neighbour is a shareholder in two major farms, including King (Hinton Bosch) Farm. The King couple began sharemilking 420 cows on 123 hectares on Hinton Road with Dan Hinton’s family, expanding their operation to 560 cows on 163 hectares and grazing stock at Tahuroa Road. My late great-aunt Joy was part of the Hinton family before the 1940s. Gypsy Day has always been significant to us, and several of my late uncles and other relatives spent many years living on farms. When I was young, my late grandmother Hilda (Biddy) explained the meaning of Gypsy Day to me.
The Hinton Bosch Farm is a prominent, multi-generation dairy property situated on the corner of State Highway 26 and Hinton Road in Eureka, Waikato. Spanning over \(120\) hectares, the property has a rich local history and has produced generations of the Hinton family, who originally settled the area as part of the Waikato Militia in the 1860s. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Historical Background
- Family Line: The Eureka and Hinton Roads property is a 5th-generation Hinton family property. Henry Hinton, a private in the 4th Regiment, was granted a 50-acre block in the area known as Hinton’s Gully in the 1860s. [1, 2]
- Operation: In the 2000s and 2010s, Troy and Michelle Hinton-Bosch ran the dairy operation on the property, milking around 400 cows and later expanding to over 420 cows. [1, 2]
- Current Status: After the Hinton-Bosch family sold the property in the mid-2010s, subsequent owners continued sharemilking over 120 hectares [1]. The property was later sold to the King-Hinton family.
Locality & Context
- Region: Located in Eureka, a tight-knit rural satellite farming community of the Waikato situated just a short drive from Hamilton.
- Nearby Hubs: The farm is only about 15 to 20 minutes northeast of Hamilton City via State Highway 26.
- Community: The area is famously documented by the local monthly publication, the Eureka Express, which records the comings, goings, and history of the local pioneering farming families. [1, 2, 3]
To learn more about the history of local families and estates, please visit the Heritage Waikato archives.
Life in Eureka 
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