How to view very old photos of an area?

Discussion in 'Property Information Resources & Tools' started by Gockie, 9th Jan, 2016.

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  1. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    I'm just wondering....
    I really want to know how old my new home is.

    Does anybody know how I can get my hands on old aerial or street photos of a Sydney suburban area?

    I think I might have to visit the State library if council won't have it. I'm thinking I'd want second half of 1800's.... Obviously Google wasn't doing street or aerial images back then!
    Here's the house if anybody missed it from the other threads.
    Screenshot_2015-12-28-10-04-58.png
     
  2. teetotal

    teetotal Well-Known Member

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    Search for flood maps nsw. There is some gov website which provides aerial view of places in 50s-60s. I remember this from my searches couple of years ago. So not able to give you the exact link, sorry.
     
  3. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Thanks Teetotal. Do you mean 1950's/1960's? I'm looking for about 100 years prior...
     
  4. bmc

    bmc Well-Known Member

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    Hi Gockie,
    i doubt you will find aerial photos back that far. (i dont think planes were invented then.)

    you could try LPI and search back through the property title records, they also have some photos dating back to 1947.

    for aerial photos there is also nearmaps.com
     
  5. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    1947 isn't old enough. :(
     
  6. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    The maps.six.nsw.gov.au website has some great resources and old mapping details.
     
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  7. Chilliblue

    Chilliblue Well-Known Member

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    @Gockie, if you post it on the areas Facebook page (pm if you need the details as I know the house location) someone may have some information. There a few community members that love knowing the areas history.
     
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  8. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    The council's hysterical society usually has a lot of useful information about older properties especially if they are significant.

    Even if they haven’t been owned by the council but occupied by a significant person in the area you may find other references to the owner/builder/subdivision in other council documentation like the conservation plan for a nearby building or park.

    In these times, house names played a part in identifying the property, I found references to one property on a 1930's survey document which gave the house name (long removed).
     
    Last edited: 10th Jan, 2016
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  9. Mumbai

    Mumbai Well-Known Member

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    DeLorean!
     
  10. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    I might have a winner!
    There's a strong chance Council might have detailed info touch wood. :)
    Screenshot_2016-01-10-08-30-22.png
     
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  11. peastman

    peastman Well-Known Member

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    You could give Trove a go. Home - Trove They have digitised newspapers and photos going back to the early times. May not be an Arial photo but you may find the advert in the newspaper for it's original sale.
     
  12. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Thankyou! I think the house may have been built by the owners so I'm not sure if the very original sale would even be in there.
     
  13. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    I think the OP is after info on their home not a good laugh.
     
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  14. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Was there any info in the sale documents or that the solicitors came across? Is it heritage listed in any way?
    If you do not know much of that sort of info from the sale etc it may not be that old. The roof had been re done fairly recently so there may not be any/significant heritage requirements.
    Have you been to the local library, not just google, to find the history of the area?

    I'm thinking early 1900 on. Anything older and surely real estate and previous owner's would have known. Need to find old planning maps, it may have been a guest/staff quarters to a bigger house nearby.
     
  15. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Very old!

    I'm more familiar with QLD buildings, but at a guess, I'd say mid to second half of the 1800's. In that time the build date would often be 'etched' somewhere, usually around the front door. Often at the top. It may be very small, so get on a ladder and have a look around. It may have been a wooden plaque and perished over the years.

    I think the front veranda was added a lot later (perhaps even last year?). That house would have been quite the McMansion in it's day - it has a fireplace and a cooking fireplace in the kitchen.

    There appears to be letters above the door. What does it say? The street name may also help with dating the age of the 'development'. Although it wasn't uncommon to buy a plot and not build the house till you'd paid off the land.

    What part of Sydney?

    You are not going to get aerial pics, planes and satellites didn't exist when it was built. Unless something eventful happened there then there won't be photos either.
     
  16. FireDragon

    FireDragon Well-Known Member

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  17. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Work backwards. Land titles may also be helpful. They may be missing info from so far back, but give you an idea of the history. If you can find out the Smiths owned it in 1923 you may be able to work back from there with the historical society, libraries and other records.

    Not all old houses are heritage listed.

    Were the previous owners or agents even asked - another good starting point. It doesn't look like staff quarters to me. I think brick was the preferred building method from 1900+ in Sydney? I could be wrong, but looks older.
     
  18. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Bingo! Thanks @FireDragon. Your link gave me this info.

    Status: Listed Item
    Item Name: House
    Item Type: Built
    Circa Date: 1880
    Style: Victorian Georgian
    Statement of Significance: Good example of a Victorian period cottage of interest also for its unusual sandstone construction. Somewhat compromised by new roofing. - (note, I think they are referring to the previous roof!) Local significance.
    Category: Single Storey Residence
    Physical Description: Small cottage. Single storey, simple rectangular plan. Sandstone walls. Terracotta tile gable roof with close eaves. Two chimneys at either end. Hipped ogee iron verandah roof to main facade, supported on large timber posts with curved brackets.
    Modifications: Terracotta tiles and verandah roof (former roof, since replaced) and posts all appear to be new. Doors and windows appear to be Inter-War period.
    Endorsed Significance: Local
    Criteria c) Aesthetic: Rare, Representative
    Historical Theme: Suburban Homes, A place to live
    Heritage Listings: Hornsby Local Environmental Plan 2013 - Schedule 5
    Conservation Area: East Epping HCA
    Study: Heritage Study (1993)
    Study by: Perumal Murphy Wu Pty Ltd
    Study Inventory No.: 1/15
    Comments: Heritage listed in HSLEP 1994, Gazetted 22 July 1994.
    Date Inspected: 11-Jan-1992
    Images: 1_150001.jpg
     
  19. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Look at other parts of the building. Buildings have gone through trends. The type of windows may indicate it's age. Does the electricity look like it was there originally? etc

    Does it have fanlights? Do they even have them in NSW?
     
  20. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    There are no light switches in the old house... you have to pull cords!