Searching Land in NSW

This is a brief idea of searching land details in NSW.

There are several comprehensive guides on the Land and Property Web Site, which are free. See search guides under Publications. They give a great rundown on how to search a property. There are three main Titles

There are three basic approaches to finding a property dependant on what you already know.

Identify the land on the mapping system
Search the name or names of the owners
Inspect the titles and dealings or the Deeds

Item two uses deferent indexes dependant on the title system of the land. As mentioned, there are two title systems, Old System or common law title and Torrens Title. See the Basics page on Land Title History in NSW. The Old system used a Vendors Index and after 1899 a purchasers Index was included, the Torrens Title only has a Purchasers Index.

By finding the land on the mapping system you can find;

The identity of the land eg the lot and deposited plan, the allotment and section or the portion number.
See if a Torrens Title has issued.
Find the grant details
See if any other action as take place, such as a resumption or easement.
If the land was a crown holding, details of the holding number may also be shown.

TORRENS LAND

You can trace the history of a Torrens title back through the old editions until you find the information you need. After the introduction of the Integrated Title System (ITS) all the Torrens Titles were computerised. You can order a copy of the title and the historical search for the current edition of the title (the Computer foilo) for a fee at the LPI or through Information Brokers. The old manual folios used before ITS have filmed. The historical search shows the prior title and reference to the first title.

OLD SYSTEM LAND

If your land is Old system then you would need to know something of the ownership history and search either the vendors or purchaser indexes for that name. It would reveal a deed reference, a book and number which you can then inspect for full details of the parties involved, the price and the full land description. To go further back you would search the vendor in that deed in the purchaser’s index until you find when they purchased the land. Inspect that deed and then search it’s vendor to go further back, unfortunately the purchase’s index only started in 1896. Before 1896 you may need to start at the grantee and work forward in the vendor’s index.

Historic Lands Records Viewer (HLRV),

The main source of all historic land records and maps related to Land in NSW is the Historic Land Records Viewer (HLRV).

formerly known as Pixel.

Click on Atributes and a drop down menu appears

HLRV Attributes menu

Through The HLRV you can see both the Toreens and Old System Indexes and the Grant Indexes. The HLRV also contains the old paper charting maps, the old parish maps, county maps and town maps. Through the HLRV you may also find plans of the old "runs", sketchs of the areas held by squatters. The charting maps where those maps used by LPI to note changes to the map system such as subdivisions and easements. Most maps saw some use as charting maps.

Using the HLRV you can also see the old form Torrens registers. The large old paper titles. You can also find the crown grants issued before 1861.

Land Title Documents

The documents which deal with land fall into three categories; Old system deeds, the Torrens register and dealings and plans of land (diagrams) also known as Deposited Plans. See the basics page.

The Torrens records consist of the register which is all the titles to land and the dealings which are the actions taken on the title, and the Purchasers index.

You can also search the old form Torrens registers in the HLRV, that is all the old cancelled titles. To see the dealings you need to pay a fee.

The Old system deeds can be inspected at the LPI, but any copies need a fee.