Ruqayyah Snyder
If you're curious about the history of your home, there are several ways to find out its age and other details. You can start by examining the architectural style, building materials, and location, as well as consulting council records, sales records, and strata plans. Additionally, you can explore online resources, such as realestate.com.au, which often provides the build date and other relevant information. Libraries, such as the State Library of Victoria, offer a wealth of resources, including architectural drawings, maps, auction posters, and online tools. You can also refer to state and territory-specific documents, like the Heritage Council of Victoria's guide to identifying house styles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| House styles | Colonial, Queen Anne, Queenslander, Victorian |
| House features | Shuttered windows, brick chimney stacks, verandas |
| Resources | Council records, aerial photos, land survey data, auction plans, maps, pictures, books, newspapers, architectural drawings, online tools, real estate websites |
| Online sources | Trove, Heritage Council of Victoria, State Library of Victoria, National Library of Australia |
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What You'll Learn
Research house styles and architecture
The architectural style of an Australian house can be indicative of the date it was built and even the architect, designer or builder. There are several ways to research and identify the style of a house, which can help to connect you with Australia's rich architectural legacy.
One way is to look at the features of the house, such as the roof pitch, window hood, lattice work or paint colours. By comparing these features to the styles of homes from different eras, you can make an estimation of the house's age and style. For example, houses from the 1900s in Australia often had outdoor spaces made of red bricks with fretwork, steep and tall slate tile roofs, and detailed bay windows or verandah gazebos. Another example is the California bungalow, which was adopted from America in the 1920s and is characterised by brick or rendered brick columns supporting the front verandah.
Another way to research house styles is to explore historical records and archives. For instance, the State Library of Queensland has a series of House Histories video guides, as well as architectural plans and house plan books. The Brisbane City Council Archives Building Registers provide information such as the name of the owner, whether it was a Worker's Dwelling, and sometimes the builder's name. Digital newspapers can also be a useful source of information, with details on tenders, house removals, and sales of land or houses.
Additionally, it can be helpful to consider the broader context of Australian architectural history when researching house styles. The first major wave of home styles in Australia dates back to the colonial era, from 1788 to around 1840. During this time, there were three distinct groups of settlers with varying standards of living: convicts, free settlers, and wealthy landed gentry. The early buildings of this period were often simple and utilitarian, marked by symmetry and refined elegance, and influenced by the classical styles of the time, such as Georgian and Neoclassical architecture.
Over time, Australian residential architecture has evolved significantly, borrowing styles from other countries and developing some distinct types of home architecture. For example, the Queenslander homes of the Sunshine State were designed to suit the warm, tropical climate and flood-prone plains, while also drawing on architectural styles from different eras. More recently, contemporary Australian homes have been influenced by a wide range of design movements, trends, and pop culture, incorporating innovative features, large windows, and a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
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Check council records
Checking council records is a great way to find out more about the history of your house in Australia. The records held and the ease of access will vary from council to council, but there are some general guidelines and sources you can use to get started.
Firstly, you'll want to identify the relevant council for your property. This may be a local or city council, and the name of the council area can be found via online maps, such as those maintained by Land Victoria. Once you have the name of the council, you can begin your search.
Council records can include a variety of documents, such as health inspector's reports, council meeting minutes, and building plans. Building plans, in particular, can be useful for dating a house, as they often form part of the application provided to the council when a house was built or extended. These plans may include floor plans, elevation, and site details. Some councils may also hold Council Works Committee Minutes, which can include the dates of approval for new builds or additions.
To access these records, you can search the council's website or contact them directly. Many councils now have digitised records available online, but for older or more sensitive documents, you may need to visit the council offices or a local archive in person. The National Library of Australia and State Libraries are excellent resources for historical research, often holding local and regional histories, rate books, directories, and maps.
In addition to council records, there are other state-specific resources available. For example, the Heritage Council of Victoria has a document titled "What House is That?", which outlines housing styles specific to Victoria. The State Records of South Australia is another useful resource, with digitised almanacs, directories, and newspaper advertisements available online.
By utilising these council records and state-specific resources, you can piece together the history of your house, including important dates such as when it was built or extended.
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Search for auction plans and maps
Auction plans and maps are a great way to find out about the history of your house and the surrounding area. These can be found in a variety of places, depending on the age, location, and size of your house.
The State Library of Victoria holds many auction posters, which include maps, promotions for new housing estates, and sometimes suggested house designs. These can be searched by street name, suburb, and the keyword "auction", for example, "McBain Altona Auction". The State Library of Victoria also holds a range of directories, including early Port Phillip directories (1839-1867) and the Sands and McDougall directories (1857-1974), which can be useful for confirming when and where a person resided at a particular address.
For those in South Australia, the State Records hold a variety of plans and maps, including some for private homes built before the 1950s, though these are rare. They also hold plans for pubs, hotels, and schools. The Index to GRG 35/585 Maps, which covers the years 1808-1946, is the main record of land deeds before the Torrens title system in 1857 and the Real Property Act in 1858. Digital copies of hundred maps, out of hundred maps, and standard mapping plans can be viewed in the Research Centre, and a copy of Hundred Maps is available through the State Library of South Australia.
The State Library of Victoria also recommends searching for parish plans using the PROV Map Warper program and checking Planning Schemes Online, which provides access to all approved planning schemes in Victoria and can be useful for locating planning zones and heritage places within local areas.
Additionally, newspapers often contain information on land sales, real estate developments, specific buildings, and designs, as well as articles on the people who lived in a particular property. Trove provides access to digitised copies of more than 350 Victorian and 1000 Australian newspapers from 1803 to 1954. When searching, try using the address of the house, for example, "23 Malvern Road, Armadale". If the street number is unknown, just use the street name and suburb. If the names of previous owners are known, include them in the search as well.
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Look for name plaques
If your house still has its original name plaque, you can use this to start your research. For instance, if the name plaque reads a name like "Hawthorne", you can search for that name online, perhaps in conjunction with the address, to see what information you can find.
You can also search for the history of houses with prominent names using Trove, which can help you find historic newspaper articles and photos.
If your house no longer has its name plaque, you can try looking at other houses in your area with similar styles to see if any of them have their original nameplates. This will allow you to narrow down the possible names for your house and then conduct further research based on those names.
Another option is to consult post office and telephone directories, which can be useful for confirming when and where a person resided at a particular address. For instance, the State Library Victoria holds early Port Phillip directories (1839-1867) and the Sands and McDougall directories (1857-1974). However, it is important to note that listings were neither compulsory nor free, so the absence of a name from the directory does not necessarily mean that the person did not live at that address.
Additionally, you can try searching for the suburb and street name without the street number, as relevant items may be part of a group of photos, and broader search terms may yield better results. Public libraries and historical societies often have valuable collections of images, including many that have not been digitised, so be sure to explore their resources as well.
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Research previous owners
To research a house's previous owners in Australia, you can employ a variety of methods, from government records to property websites. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Start with the Land Titles Office: Each state or territory in Australia maintains property records through its Land Titles Office or equivalent. These government departments are legally required to record all property sales information, including lists of previous owners. You can access these records online or in person, but there may be a fee involved. Make sure you have the property's address or title/plan details before initiating the search.
- Utilise property websites: Websites like realestate.com.au, Domain, Pricefinder, and Onthehouse.com.au offer detailed sales records, suburb profiles, and market trends. Some sites even provide data on all previous sales and property valuations. These websites can give you insights into the property's history, potentially revealing previous owners and any renovations they undertook.
- Explore the National Library of Australia's Trove: Trove is a valuable resource that contains details about suburbs, streets, and specific properties. It includes images and newspaper articles that might offer clues about previous ownership.
- Consult the Australian Bureau of Statistics: The ABS provides extensive real estate data, including housing and mortgage research. While the data is typically national, it can provide insights into the housing market in your state or region, which may help identify previous owners.
- Engage a search provider: If you prefer a more direct approach, consider using a search provider like Property Registry, GlobalX, or Infotrack. These providers offer title searches and ownership information for a fee. They can save you time by consolidating records from various states and territories into a single report.
- Check the Heritage Database: If the property has cultural significance, it may be listed on the Australian Heritage Database. While this applies to a small percentage of properties, it's worth checking as it may provide historical ownership details.
Remember, the availability and depth of information may vary depending on the property's location and history. Combining multiple research methods will increase your chances of successfully identifying and learning more about the previous owners of the house.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to find out the age of your house in Australia. You can start by looking at the architecture and building materials used, as houses in Australia tend to follow certain fashion trends and styles over the years. You can also try searching for your house in the National Library of Australia's collection of architectural drawings, maps, and online tools.
You can try using the National Library of Australia's website to search for state and territory-specific documents, such as the Heritage Council of Victoria's document titled "What house is that?". This document outlines housing styles specific to Victoria, which may help you narrow down the age of your house.
Yes, you can try visiting your local library or the State Library of Victoria to search for records such as old rates books, the Sands directory, subdivision maps of the area, auction plans, maps, pictures, and books. You can also try contacting your local council, as they may have records related to your property, such as original drawings or sales records.
You can try searching for your house in online databases such as CoreLogic, which pulls data from various sources and may provide an estimated build date. Additionally, you can try looking at council records, aerial photos, land survey data, or even take a look at the plasterboard on your walls, as it may have a date of manufacture stamp on the back.
Yes, you can try looking for a name plaque or brass nameplate on your house, which may provide a clue as to the original name or owner of the property. Additionally, you can try researching the previous owners and occupants of the house, as this may provide information about the history of the property and help you narrow down the age of the house.
