AGY-40 | Deeds Registration Branch

Full description

The Deeds Registration Branch was created in 1857 under the Deeds Registration Act (Act 20 Vic no.27) as a separate branch within the Office of the Registrar General. Company registration appears to have been carried out by the Deeds Registration Branch until the establishment of a separate Companies Branch in 1955. In 1859 within the 'Blue Books', the Registration of Deeds is listed as a separate function of the Registrar General’s Office; in 1865 it is listed as the Deeds Branch. The introduction in 1967 of part IVA of the Real Property Act, 1900, allowed the Registrar General to convert land held under the Old System to Torrens Title. The legislation allowed the issue without charge of a qualified certificate of title to the owner of an Old System title provided that the Old System title satisfied certain criteria. The functions of the Deeds Registration Branch between 1968-1975 were (1) : · registering dealing affecting land held under Old System Title;
· registering bills of sale and renewals and discharges thereof;
· registering documents required to be filed in compliance with the Newspapers Act, 1898 and the Printing Act, 1899;
· registering mortgages of stock and liens on wool and crops;
· registering resumptions of land held under Old System Title;
· registering, in the Miscellaneous Register, instruments which do not affect land. In 1975 as a result of the reorganisation of the Registrar General’s Office - one of the three major land titles systems formed was the Deeds Registration Branch, responsible for the registration of Old Systems Deeds (2). Commencing on 1st July, 1976, all deeds were registered in the General Register of Deeds which signalled the closing off of the Miscellaneous Register (3). In 1977 the function of Deeds Registration - Old System Dealings (Lodgement of instruments, under the Registration of Deeds Act, 1897), still continued to play an important albeit a diminishing part in the daily business of the Registrar General (4). Functions in 1976-77 (5): Old System Dealings
Conveyances
Mortgages
Total number of deeds (of all kinds)
Dealings with Wool and Stock
Liens on Wool
Stock Mortgages
Bills of Sale Registration
Original Bills of Sale
Renewals
Discharges FOOTNOTES
(1) "Outline", 1966-1976."
(2) NSW Public Service Notices, 3/12/1975.
(3) Registrar General Annual Report, 1977 p.26.
(4) Registrar General Annual Report, 1978 p.29.
(5) Registrar General Annual Report, 1977 p.25. REFERENCES
(1) "Concise Guide" 2nd Edition. "Q - Sup", "Registrar General", p.15.
(2) NSW Government Directory 1977/8.
(3) Public Service Lists, 1958 - 1960.