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Otago and Southland land records

Links to Collections search in this guide 

Many of the links in this guide are to series of records in Collections search. Series are groups of records on a similar topic. 

To find the individual records that make up a series:  

• use the links to open the series page in Collections search 

• expand the ‘Record hierarchy’ drop-down menu at the bottom of the page. 

Land ownership in New Zealand 

Aotearoa New Zealand has had 2 systems of recording information about land ownership and sales since the mid-1800s — the Deeds system and the Land Transfer (Certificate of Title) system. 

Each system uses different documents to record land transactions. You’ll use different reference records to find information about these transactions in each system. The best place to start your search depends on the dates you’re interested in. 

1851 to 1870 Deeds system 

Record of land transaction: Deed 

Main reference record: Deeds Index Find out more about the Deeds Indexes 

Land Transfer system introduced 1870 to 1924

Between 1870 and 1924, the Deeds system was gradually phased out and replaced by the Land Transfer system. Between these years new land transactions, like crown grants and subdivisions/amalgamations, were recorded in the Land Transfer system. 

Land Transfer system becomes dominant 1924 to present

Record of land transaction: Certificate of Title 

Main reference record: Land Transfer Registers 

 If you’re interested in a transaction from 1924 onwards, start with the Land Transfer system — but keep in mind that, especially if it’s earlier in the period, it could be in the Deeds system. This is because the Land Transfer Act of 1924 made it compulsory to bring all land deeds into the Land Transfer system. This task was officially completed in the 1950s – but even today, some land remains in the Deeds system. 

Search the Deeds system in a few different ways. It depends what information you want to find. 

Step 1 — Search for a name in the Grantee Nominal Index of Deeds or Nominal Index to Indexes

The Grantee Nominal Index of Deeds (Series 23465) is a register of people who bought land from 1851 to 1942. There are 7 volumes. Each one is organised in loosely alphabetically order, by surname. All seven volumes have been digitised and can be viewed in Collections Search:

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 1, c. 1851 - c. 1863 - Collections search [R22756289]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 2, c. 1860 - c. 1879 - Collections search [R22756290]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 3, c. 1866 - c. 1879 - Collections search [R22756291]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 4, c. 1879 - c. 1886 - Collections search [R22756292]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 5, c. 1885 - c. 1903 - Collections search [R22756293]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 6, c. 1903 - c. 1925 - Collections search [R22756294]

• Otago Grantee Nominal Index to Deeds 7, c. 1925 - c. 1942 - Collections search [R22756295]

Otago Land Transfer Registers Nominal Indexes to Indexes (Series 9198) is an alphabetical register of early land holders under the Land Transfer system:

Land Information New Zealand, Otago Land Transfer Registers Nominal Index to Indexes [R21549267]

Step 2 — Find a reference to the Deeds Index

Each entry in the Nominal Index includes:

• a person’s name

• a reference to the main Otago Deeds Index (Series 23467), where you can find information about the land the named person bought.

Reading references to the Deeds Index

Each reference includes a letter and a number:

• the letter tells you which volume of the Deeds Index to look in

• the number tells you which page number contains the information you need.

For example, the reference B 351 directs you to page 351, in Volume B of the Deeds Index.

Step 3 — Use the Deeds Index to find the legal description.

The Deeds Index contains legal descriptions of all the plots of land it lists. A legal description tells you the:

• district the land is in

• block number

• section number.

You can use these details to find the land on a map.

A Deeds Index entry also contains a list of transactions for that particular piece of land. Each entry will have a reference to a Deed in a Deeds Register. You can view the registers for Otago (Series 23469) in the Dunedin reading room.

Step 4 — Find the land on a survey map

Survey maps show each block and section of land in a district. To find a survey map in Collections search:

• search for Survey and the district name – for example, Survey Clutha

• open the filters on the results page

• tick the Digital copy available filter to see maps you can view online

• look for a map from around the time you’re interested in.

Visit Collections search to look for maps

Learn how to filter your results in Collections search

Follow these steps if you have the details of a piece of land and you want to know who owned it. You’ll need the legal description – this includes the:

• district the land is in

• block number

• section number.

If you don’t have a legal description

In some cases, you may be able to identify the legal description using a rates finder from the relevant city or district council. For example, in Dunedin, you can find legal descriptions by using Dunedin City Council’s rates information by street address - enter a house number and road name to retrieve details.

We can help you find the legal description of a plot of land. Use the Ask an archivist form to send us a question. It’s a good idea to give us as much information about the land as possible – for example, the:

• current address

• location on a map.

Ask an archivist to help you find a legal description

Step 1 — Find the land in the Indexes to Deeds

In the Otago Indexes to Deeds (Series 23470, 23471 and 23472) and Southland Deeds Local Index (Series 23590), plots of land are organised by district – you can find a piece of land if you know its details. These indexes give you references to the main Deeds Index, where you can find information about the times a piece of land was bought, sold or leased.

How to search the Indexes to Deeds

The contents pages at the front of the Indexes to Deeds list the districts or towns they cover. Check which pages contain information about the district or town you’re interested in. Find the right page, then look for the block and section of the land. You may need to look in more than one volume to find the land you’re looking for.

Otago

• Districts no.1 – Collections search [R22756297]

• Districts no.2 – Collections search [R22756298]

• Government Towns no.1 – Collections search [R22756300]

• Government Towns no.2 – Collections search [R22756301]

• Private Townships – Collections search [R22756296]

• Index Book (Towns) – Collections search [R22756302]

• Index Book (Districts) – Collections search [R22756299]

Southland

• Deeds Local Index – Collections search [R22758516]

Step 2 — Find a reference to the Deeds Index

Each entry for a plot of land in the Districts and Towns Index Books gives you a reference to the main Deeds Index, where you can find a list of transactions that were made on the land.

Reading references to the Deeds Index

Each reference includes a letter and a number.

• The letter tells you which volume of the Deeds Index to look in.

• The number tells you which page number contains the information you need.

Otago Deeds Index – Collections search

Southland Deeds Index – Collections search

Step 3 — Use the Deeds Index to find transactions

The Deeds Index lists the transactions on a piece of land before it was moved into the Land Transfer system.

Each entry will have a reference to a Deed in a Deeds Register. You can view the registers for Otago (Series 23469) and Southland (series 23485) in the Dunedin reading room.

In the Land Transfer System — which we still use today — all the transactions of a piece of land are recorded on a single document, called the Certificate of Title. The certificates are collected in Land Transfer Registers.

You can view the registers for Otago (Series 9197) and Southland (Series 9200) in the Dunedin reading room.

Find out who owned a piece of land

To find the Certificate of Title for a piece of land, you need to know the legal description. This includes the:

• district the land is in

• block number

• section number.

If you don’t have the legal description

In some cases, you may be able to identify the legal description using a rates finder from the relevant city or district council. For example, in Dunedin, you can find legal descriptions by using Dunedin City Council’s Rates information by street address — enter a house number and road name to retrieve details.

We can help if you don’t have the legal description – use the Ask an archivist form to send us a question.

Ask an archivist for help finding a legal description

Step 1 — Find the land in the Otago and Southland Indexes

• Search the Contents pages at the beginning of the Otago Town Indexes (Series 23471 and 23472) or the Otago Land District Survey District Indexes (Series 23470) for the district the land is in. For land in Southland, search Southland Land Transfer Sectional Indexes (Series 23771).

• Find the district, then find the block and section.

• You may need to look in more than one volume to find the district you’re looking for.

We’ve digitised these volumes, so you can view them online.

Otago Town Indexes

• Government Towns no.1 – Collections search [R22756300]

• Government Towns no.2 – Collections search [R22756301]

• Index Book (Towns) – Collections search [R22756302]

• Otago Private Townships Index to Deeds – Collections search [R22756296]

Otago Survey District Indexes

• Survey District Index, A to O – Collections search

• Survey District Index, P to Z – Collections search

Southland Land Transfer Indexes

• Southland Land Transfer Sectional Index Vol.1 – Collections search

• Southland Land Transfer Sectional Index Vol.2 – Collections search

Step 2 — Find a reference to the Land Transfer Registers

Next to each section in the Town or Survey District Indexes, you’ll find a reference to the Land Transfer Registers.

This is where you can see the Certificate of Title number for the land you’re interested in.

Reading references to the Land Transfer Registers

References to the Land Transfer Registers are next to the legal description, in the column headed RB. Each reference contains 2 numbers.

• The first number tells you which volume of the Land Transfer Registers to look in.

• The second number tells you which page number contains the information you need.

You can view the registers for Otago (Series 9197) and Southland (Series 9200) in our Dunedin reading room, or access a selection of digitised volumes online:

Otago volumes online — 1-6, 267, 269-332, 421, 424-427, 429-451

Contact us if you have the name of a person and you want to find out whether they bought, sold or leased land in the Land Transfer System.

• We’ll search for the name in the Nominal Index Cards in our Dunedin office, and give you a reference to the Land Transfer Registers.

• You can view the Registers in the reading room.

Searching for the land a person owned or leased Southland

Step 1 — Search for a name in the Nominal Index

The Southland Land Transfer Registers Nominal Indexes to Indexes (Series 9204) give details of everyone who bought land in Southland under the Land Transfer system from 1871 to 1926, with very few entries up to 1931.

We’ve made the registers available as an Excel spreadsheet, so you can search it for the names of people you’re interested in.

Southland Land Nominal Index (XLSX, 1.03MB)

Step 2 — Find a reference to the Southland Land Transfer Indexes

Each entry in the Nominal Index contains a:

• person's name

• reference to the Southland Land Transfer Indexes (Series 9203), where you can find information about the land the person bought.

Reading references to the Southland Land Transfer Indexes

Each reference contains a letter and a number.

• The letter tells you which volume of the Southland Land Transfer Indexes to look in.

• The number tells you which page number contains the information you need.

You can view the Southland Land Transfer Indexes in our Dunedin reading room, or access a selection of digitised volumes online:

• Land Information New Zealand, Southland Land Transfer Registers - Old Index - O I [R927921]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index A [R927922]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index B [R927923]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index C [R927924]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index D [R927925]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index E [R927926]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index F [R927927]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index G [R927928]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index H [R927929]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index I [not used]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index J [R927930]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index K [R927931]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index L [R927932]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index M [R927933]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index N [R927934]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index O [R927935]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index P [R927936]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index Q [R927937]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index R [R927938]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index S [R927939]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index T [R927940]

• Southland Land Transfer Registers Index U [R927941]

We're here to help if you have questions about land, or aren't sure what resources to use. Use the Ask an archivist form to send us a question, or visit us in the Dunedin reading room.

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