Find out what land your ancestor owned, how much it cost, and when it was bought, sold and mortgaged.

If your ancestors owned property in New South Wales in the 1800s you can get a more detailed picture of their geographic movements and financial position over time.

The ownership of land has long been an indicator of wealth and status, and even of eligibility to vote until the mid-1800s. Land records show where the land was, what it was used for, who owned it before and who it passed to.

Records of land in NSW are held in the NSW Department of Lands in Sydney (previously the NSW Land Titles Office), although some have been moved to State Records NSW. Land research at the NSW Lands Department and State Records NSW is complex and time-consuming but well worth the effort.

If farming land was bought through Conditional Purchase the records will be at State Records NSW. Research into the associated correspondence can reveal the original application form, signed by your ancestor, and show the improvements he made to meet the conditions of the purchase.

The minimum research period is three (3) hours. Initial research will include a search of all relevant indexes at the Lands Department and a report of what was found with recommendations for further research.