How to Research the History of Your House A frequently asked question of people contacting the Heritage Office is: "How do I find out about the history of my house?" For those who live in heritage-listed houses or homes from an earlier era, finding out about the history of the place can add to its significance and appeal, as well as being an important first step when undertaking conservation work. Heritage Office historian, Bruce Baskerville, explains how to research the history of your house. In this first part, he looks particularly at houses in the Sydney region. It is important to understand that it is unlikely that someone will have already researched, written and published the history of your house. You will probably need to do the research and writing yourself. The first question then to ask is, "Why am I doing this?". Do you want to undertake some conservation or renovation works that will retain the historic character of the house? Is it for a school research project? Are you simply interested in knowing the house's history? The reason for your research will help guide you to certain records and information. Wherever you live in the Sydney region there are several basic sources that will probably be available for your area. The first source is the house itself. Reading a building is a skill that can be learnt with a little patience. Walk all around and through the building, noting the different materials used, and look for any filled-in or new doors or windows, removed chimneys, fireplaces, internal walls and verandahs. The various materials can be roughly dated. For example, corrugated iron became widespread from the 1870s/80s, casement (side-hung) windows in the 1910s, fibro walls from the 1940s. The style or styles used in a house can help to date it. The two standard publications for identifying styles are Richard Apperley, et al, Identifying Australian Architecture (1989) and Stapleton, M & I, Australian House Styles (1997), both available from bookshops and libraries. Neighbours and other local residents may also recall information or stories about the house and its earlier residents that may be useful in your research. Between 1858 and 1906 local councils were established across the metropolitan area (1842 in the city). Council records useful for house histories are Rate Books and Development Application (DA) and Building Application (BA) records. Rate books record information about the owner, type of building and valuations, and are updated every 3-4 years. DA (from 1945) and BA (from 1909) records show building plans and various documents associated with the approvals process. Inquiries should initially be directed to the local studies librarian for your council area. Other useful records that may be held in the local studies collection include photographs and drawings, oral histories and interviews conducted with past residents that may refer to your house. Local newspapers and magazines could include stories about the house or former residents. It is important to remember, however, that many council and local records have been destroyed or lost over the years, and coverage will often be uneven. The library can only collect what has survived. The State and Mitchell libraries also contain many useful resources. The most commonly used is Sands Directory which was produced annually from 1858 to 1932/33. It lists residents by street addresses and can help work out when a house was built, and who occupied it. Subdivision posters can show when your house block was first made and sold as part of an estate subdivision. Extensive collections of photographs, drawings, newspapers, magazines, maps and plans are also held. Case Study 1: Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills When Phillip Black purchased a Victorian terrace in Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills, his curiosity was aroused as to the history of the large rambling house. His first step in unraveling the story of his new home was to consult the Sands Directory. He was able to establish that the earliest occupier was a Scotsman, John Michael Niebel. Further investigation of Council Rate Assessment books confirmed that Niebel had built the house in about 1863, and in the following few years the terraces either side. Looking at the fabric of the house, Phillip was able to link the lack of period decoration to Scottish frugalness and to the fact that the house had been altered to accommodate lodgers, with additional bathrooms and kitchens. Through the Council Assessment books he discovered that from the 1920s the house was used as a boarding house. Mediterranean style tiles in the house were explained when documents from the Land Titles Records Office revealed that from the 1950s it was owned by Maltese and Portuguese families who added their own decorative elements. Phillip has been adding yet another layer to the house's history with recent work to restore much of the interior to a late 19th century style. Case Study 2:Pulbrook Parade, Hornsby Pamela Neal's investigation into the history of her house began when she started to research her family's history. "No one knew anything and I decided that the house could tell me more than many of the family members" said Pamela. Through her research at the Land Titles Office she was able to trace the history of the house and land right back to 1888 when it was advertised for sale as "country lots". The bushland was initially purchased by a doctor from Bathurst, but it was not until 1917 that their block was sold as Lot 30 of the Mount Bathurst Estate. Joseph Alfred Pulbrook, the publican from Hornsby who had subdivided the land, is remembered in the street name. Pamela knew that her home had originally belonged to her husband's family, but it was not until she had examined Council Rate Books, valuation certificates and old maps and plans that she was able to piece together its complicated history. In 1922 the family came to live in a two-roomed shack built amongst the scrub. When twins arrived in 1930 to an already large family of seven, her father-in-law added a back verandah. Still, two of the girls often slept in a tent as there was not enough room in the cottage. By 1940 a bathroom, living room, hallway and front verandah had been added. The evidence of all these changes in the lives of her family can still be seen in the fabric of Pamela's home. Indeed, recent renovations revealed the original two-roomed cottage is still intact beneath the added layers. The Royal Australian Historical Society Library and the Society of Australian Genealogists Library hold similar extensive collections of local histories, family histories, photographs, memoirs and reminiscences, and can also provide useful tips and information on other sources. The Land Titles Office holds records for all legal land transactions in New South Wales under the Torrens Title system (introduced in 1863) and many under the common law or 'Old' system (since the 1790s). These records are about land, rather than buildings, but can be very useful in determining earlier ownership of a house. Inquiries should initially be directed to the Historical Officer. Another useful source is the Metropolitan Detail Plans compiled by the Water Board from the 1880s to the 1940s to show sewerage and water connections to individual properties. Finding a plan that shows your house will depend upon when your area was first sewered and connected to reticulated water. Initial inquiries should be directed to the Sydney Water archivist. These are the types of records created over the years that will be most useful for researching a house history in Sydney. Not all of these records will be useful for every house, and there will also be other records for certain types of houses, for example former Housing Commission houses. It is important to remember that a house history should also cover the whole period of its existence, not just when it was built. For further information and research tips contact details are shown below, and Bruce Baskerville at the NSW Heritage Office can also be contacted for advice on 9849 9565. References: Investigating History and Investigating Fabric in the NSW Heritage Manual. Available from the NSW Heritage Office. Contacts: Your local council or local studies library Royal Australian Historical Society Library (02) 9247 8001 Society of Australian Genealogists Library (02) 9247 3953 Historical Officer, Land Titles Office (02) 9228 6666 Sydney Water Archivist (02) 9334 0238