David and Katharine Milson with some of the historic Vosper family photos which have
adorned Dingley Dell’s walls for many years. Photo: Jeremy Smith
A Cambridge property steeped in history, with a capital value of $17.8 million, could change hands for the first time in more than a century. Dingley Dell, a 165ha Maungatautari dairy farm will be auctioned next month.
Dingley Del is the former home to Cambridge Polo Club and has been owned by four generations of the Vosper family for nearly 140 years.
Current residents Katharine Milson – nee Vosper – and her husband David, have lived there since returning from overseas in 2009 and say the sale is necessitated by family circumstances.
Listed with “mixed feelings” earlier this month, the property is on the market exactly 150 years after Katharine’s great grandfather William Vosper arrived in New Zealand from England in 1873.
Cambridge Museum records show Dingley Dell – originally Every Maclean’s Maungatautari headquarters – was established in 1877. The name came from a popular Charles Dickens novel.
William moved from Auckland to Cambridge to manage Dingley Dell and ultimately purchased the land.
He and wife Grace married in 1885 and raised their family of eight there. Katharine and her siblings – brother Guy, sister Stephanie, and the late James – also grew up at Dingley Dell.
Their parents – the late Bill and Margaret Vosper – had settled there after marrying in 1960.
Margaret lived there for 55 years, with Katharine and David’s sons Andrew and Chris also spending a chunk of their childhood there when the couple returned from overseas.
Two Vosper family reunions have been held at Dingley Dell – one in 1973, the other in 2008.
“I’m very attached… there’s lots of special memories for us here,” Katharine said.
“But we have had time to think about it as a family, and we know the timing is right.”
The 165-hectare farm, which was converted to dairy from sheep and beef in 1994, has been leased to JD & RD Wallace for nearly four decades – it operates with two other neighbouring properties.
Dingley Dell is steeped in history. Photo: Supplied
Milking 630 cows, the property’s three-year milk solid average is just shy of 220,000
kilograms. Katharine recalls idyllic rural years there, rearing orphaned lambs, shearing times with tables creaking with food, Margaret bottling enough seasonal fruit to last the year and laughter-filled indoor and outdoor games.
“Personally, it‘s also been quite meaningful hosting groups of people for events like women’s groups, woodworking groups and even Christmas dinners.”
The current six-bedroom bungalow is the third on the property. Built in 1928, along the lines of designs by architect James Douce, it is a category B heritage building.
The first cottage belonging to William burnt down in May 1884 while he attended a church service in Cambridge.
The second, a large villa-styled home, was burnt down the night of the 1926 Hunt Ball.
Sport has always played a big role in the lives of the Vosper family – Dingley Dell having been home to a rifle range, dog trials and polo over the years.
At one time, there was even a separate room which housed a marble king-size billiard table.
Since polo came to Cambridge in the early 1900s, the polo club has had many homes – the trotting club and Dingley Dell being among them before WWII.
Then, when the polo club recommenced in 1947, the Vosper’s front paddock was the club’s practice grounds until 1964 when it moved to Vogel St.
“I can remember polo being played,” Katharine said.
“My grandfather Gordon was very involved – he was even in the New Zealand polo team.
“For a while during my childhood, there was an old polo grandstand in the driveway,” Katharine said.
As the Milsons now plan for one significant chapter to close, Katharine said she and David want to stay in Cambridge.
“I’m not sure that after having lived somewhere as beautiful as this we could shift into town though.”
Dingley Dell from above. Photo: Jason Tregurtha.
