Resources

Researching the history of your house

There are a number of steps you can take that will help you obtain information about your house. You can research the age of your house and the earlier ownership of the property. You can find out how to go about researching the proposed development on the site and lodging an objection to that development.

Determining the date of construction for pre-1946 houses in Brisbane requires some research, as exact building records in this period are incomplete. The City Archives can advise on research methods and holds a number of records that can assist in house research. They also offer reference assistance to customers who visit or phone the Archives.

Below is a link to the City Council Guide to Researching House Histories. The guide includes hyperlinks to relevant resources. For a pre-1946 house a titles search is recommended to determine who owned the land when the dwelling was constructed. The title record may also indicate when a mortgage was first taken out on the land to finance the construction of the dwelling.

Brisbane City Council | Guide to Researching House Histories

The other records held by the City Archives which may be useful in determining the age of a dwelling are the detail plans. The date of these will vary for each suburb depending on when the sewerage surveys were undertaken. These maps can be made available online as per the instructions on the detail plan “room” on the Library catalogue.

You can visit or contact the City Archives for further assistance. Information about the opening hours and location can be found here.

RECORDS OF FREEHOLD OWNERSHIP

Records of freehold ownership of each property can be obtained from the Museum of Lands, Mapping and Surveying, Land and Spatial Information, Department of Natural Resources and Mines. The Senior Curator of the Museum may be able to guide you through the process. Contact details are Museum@dnrm.qld.gov.au and (07) 3896 3000.

Copies of images of titles deeds for individual properties can be purchased for $18.15 each from the Department’s business centres: https://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/our-department/contact-us/dnrm-business-centre-contacts. The phone number for the Woolloongabba Business Centre is (07) 3896 3216.

REFERENCES:

Prepared by the Toowong and District Historical Society Inc. with information provided by the BCC Archivist, Brisbane City Council Archives. (05.07.2016)