Land records available at State Records
This new service provides access to high quality colour images of an ever growing digital collection of land title records. State Records is providing free access to PIXEL in the Sydney Records Centre and the Western Sydney Records Centre at Kingswood. Please be aware copies, including printing, digital photography and screen dumps, cannot be made from the public terminals at State Records. Colour copies can be ordered through the LPMA online shop.
Historical Land Records
Old Form Torrens Registers
Old Form titles were issued from 1863 to 1961. "Old Form" refers to the large paper format used for the creation of these records. Under the Torrens Title System land transactions were registered on one title document called the Register. The Register shows a chain of ownership, including transcations affecting the title over a period of time and a description of the land parcel.
Charting Maps
Charting Maps are a cadastral land boundary index that can be used to help find plan and title information relating to a parcel of land being researched. The Charting Map collection consists of Regional Parish Maps, Status Branch Parish Maps and Land Titles Office Charting Maps.
Crown plans
Crown plans are survey diagrams illustrating the state's land boundaries, natural features and may include references to early leasing and ownership of land.
Further information on LPMA land records
- For more detailed information on the various land records available on PIXEL and how to search them download the LPMA search guides
- For more general information see the Historical Land Title Records leaflet (PDF, 768kb)
-
Read the Press release for the launch of the service (PDF, 70kb)
-
For more information about LPMA’s historical collections, cultural heritage sites and archival projects see Baseline
Links to land records at State Records NSW
State Records has a large number of records relating to land dating back to the early days of the Colony. You may find notations and references when using PIXEL that you wish to pursue, such as Conditional Puchase or Primary Application records. Below are a number of Archives in Brief information leaflets and online search tools to help in your search.
Early land records
Prior to 1856 the main agencies responsible for the administration of land in the New South Wales were the Colonial Secretary, the Surveyor General and the Commissioners of Crown Lands.
- Short Guide 8 Land Grants, 1788-1856
- AIB 22 Occupation of Crown Land prior to 1856
- AIB 23 Land grants prior to 1856
- AIB 55 Court of Claims (from 1833)
- AIB 60 Commissioners of Crown Lands (from 1843)
Online Indexes to search:
- Index to the Colonial Secretary's papers, 1788-1825 (search by person for early land grants)
- Index to the Colonial Secretary's Letters relating to land, 1826-56
- List of other Online Land records to search
Surveyor General
The cartographic records of the Surveyor General provide some of the most detailed and comprehensive descriptions of the nature use, agricultural potential and occupancy of land in the colony.
Online Indexes to search:
Parish Maps
The Parish Maps have notations and references which can lead to our records, PIXEL or the Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA) records.
Conditional Purchase records
A Conditional Purchase was a way of obtaining a Crown Grant for land before it was surveyed. Established in 1861, the grant was dependent on a set of conditions being met.
Soldier Settlement
The passage of the Returned Soldiers Settlement Act 1916, (Act No 21 1916) allowed the settlement of returned soldiers on Crown and Closer Settlement lands.
When applying for land, an ex-serviceman was required to complete a Qualification Certificate which was a declaration of his or her status as an ex-service person and eligibility for land.
Online indexes to search:
