Land value refers to the monetary value of the land only and does not include the value of the home or other structures on the land. Land value is used by local councils and the State Government to calculate rates and taxes. Property NSW oversees the management of the valuation system on behalf of the Valuer General.
Overview
Valuations undertaken by Property NSW on behalf of the Valuer General, for rating and taxing purposes are made under the Valuation of Land Act 1916. Prior to this act land valuation was relatively inconsistent. Land valuers could be appointed under under the Real Property Act 1862 or be employed by local councils or by a valuation unit in the State Land Tax Office. Many land valuations made by these newer agencies were inconsistent and inequitable and by 1916 there was a desire to reduce the overlapping and duplication of land valuation work by appointing a single authority.
The Valuation of Land Act 1916 provided for the appointment of a Valuer General and for the establishment of the Department of Valuer General to bring uniformity to valuation activity. The valuations to be determined would become the basis of rating, stamp duties, death duties and land resumption.
More historical information on Valuation can be found in our catalogue under Agency 985: Land Valuation Branch / Land Valuers Branch / Valuation Branch
Select list of record series (NRS)
Valuer General
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 14466 |
Valuation Cards [13/7443-934] Canterbury [13/7563-7549] Fiche 2355-2475; [13/7550-7557] Fiche 2505-2577 These cards provide information on the valuation of properties in the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong urban areas and many other urban areas throughout the State |
1916-1927 |
|
Valuation rolls Information contained in these rolls includes owner's name, address and occupation; lessee's name; address of property to be valued; nature of improvements; lot; area; value and remarks. This series covers most areas of New South Wales. The rolls are arranged by valuation district and within that by wards or ridings and then alphabetically by street. PDF copies of the Items Lists (from the reading room) are available below:
|
c.1928+ | |
| NRS 14467 | Field books relating to property valuations (and cancelled Field book entries) [11/12011-13994 6/12450-12455 10/41660-41714 10/41312-41330 6/11171-11429] | c.1920-1978 |
Legal and Estates Branch (Chief Commissioner of Railways)
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| NRS 16411 |
Land and Property Valuation Files This series contains files relating to the valuation of railway land, property and residences. They include applications by employees (and their position in the railways) to purchase land, build or extend residences and requests for financial assistance. |
1942-1980 |
Local Government - Rate and valuation books
We hold rate and valuation books for some councils. These are listed in our catalogue using the terms "rate" and "valuation".
The majority of council records still reside with the creating or successor council. Researchers will need to contact the council concerned to access to these records. Check with staff before visiting as some records may be held at Regional Archives Centres.
Related records
Land Appeal Court
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
|
[9/739] |
Register of appeal cases (Court of Appeals under the Crown Lands Act of 1884) |
1885-1890 |
|
Registers of cases heard by the Land (Appeal) Court 3 Mar 1890-29 Jun 1920 [X2268-84], 29 Jun 1920-20 Sep 1921 [3/891 part] |
1890-1921 |
Land and Valuation Court
| Series | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|
|
[3/891 part-892] |
Registers of cases heard by the Land and Valuation Court |
14 Feb 1922-4 Dec 1935 |
|
[3/890] |
Register of lists of objections against land valuations by Shire and Municipal Councils for hearing in the Land and Valuation Court of New South Wales |
1922-1957 |
|
[3/893] |
Register of Valuer General's lists | c.1944-1963 |
Further reading
Joy N. Hughes (ed.). Local government - local history: a guide to N.S.W. local government minute books and rate records, Royal Australian Historical Society. 1990
Access
Individual Councils are required to make an access direction (to determine whether the records are open or closed to public access) for all their records which are over 30 years of age. An access direction specifies that a series, group or class of records is open to public access (OPA) or closed to public access (CPA).
A list of Councils that have made access directions is available on the Register of Access Directions.
ARCHIVES IN BRIEF
This content first appeared in Archives in Brief 109 - Valuation records
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