What's new in 2023: June

Records recently added to our collection include certified plans of subdivision from Land Use Victoria, records from the former Prince Henry’s Hospital, and papers tabled in the Legislative Assembly and Council between 2014 and 2018.

Land Use Victoria certified plans of subdivision – lodged plan series 

More than 78,000 certified plans from 1863 to 1997 have come to us from Land Use Victoria. Land Use Victoria is the Victorian Government agency responsible for land registration, property information, spatial data services and maps, surveying, land valuation, geographic names, government land policy and advice, and government land transaction oversight. The agency was previously known as the Office of the Register-General and the Office of Titles and Land Victoria. 

The Land Use series recently transferred to our collection contains original plans of applications for subdivision of freehold land in the State of Victoria. The plans have been sealed or certified by the relevant local municipal council prior to being lodged in the Office of Titles for approval. Once approved, the applicant then received a new Certificate of Title. 

These Certified Plans provide the continual history of parcelisation of land within Victoria. They contain:

• Creation of unique land descriptions for each created parcel
• New parcel dimensions and areas
• Creation and naming of new Roads
• Set aside Reserves for specific purposes
• Set aside easements such as drainage, sewerage, carriageway to service the development and
• Sets out existing easements and rights to the land prior to the subdivision.  

All plans in this series have an LP number (‘LP’ = Lodged Plan). In order to figure out what plan you want to view, you first need to source the relevant LP number. To do this, head to the Landata website to get the volume and folio number of the land title required. Once you have a volume and folio number, copies of land titles can be downloaded for free from the Land Titles index using the computers in the PROV North Melbourne Reading Room. That land title will give you the LP number in order to access the certified plans of subdivision.

Records from the former Prince Henry’s Hospital

A recent transfer from Monash Health contained records from the former Prince Henry’s Hospital. The Hospital was open from 1869 to 1994 and was located on St Kilda Road from 1885 until its closure. Throughout its existence it was also known as the Melbourne Homoeopathic Dispensary (1869-1876) and Melbourne Homoeopathic Hospital (1876-1934).

A wide range of administrative and planning records are covered in the transfer, including annual reports, minutes and reports of subcommittees, and general correspondence files. There are also letter books, nurse training records, and inpatient books.  

Visit the Prince Henry’s agency page to see a full list of records now available.

Legislative papers

Original papers tabled in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council during the 58th Parliament of Victoria have also been added to PROV’s collection. Original papers tabled include reports, petitions, returns, messages, division lists, writs, evidence, and estimates. Also included are annual reports of agencies and departments required to submit their reports under legislation.