Hahndorf residents have the unusual distinction of living in a place with the most complicated town plan in South Australia.  In one respect, Hahndorf's history tells of its change from a medieval Prussian 'hufendorf' design to a standard regulated plan undet Torrens Titles.  By a great co-incidence, Ulrich Huebbe, the person who devised the world-first Torrens Title system for use in South Australia, is buried in Hahndorf's public cemetery on Pine Avenue.   (Reg Butler)

Reg Butler, the town historian and a descendant of five of the original fifty-four founding families, has navigated through the complex shoals of Hahndorf's land ownership over many year's research in the South Australian Lands Titles Office.  This has come together with a history of land ownership for every allotment in Hahndorf from 1839 to modern times.

A public accessible computer for the Hahndorf Allotments Database is located in the Hahndorf Kaffeehaus at 51 Main Street, Hahndorf (opposite the Hahndorf Academy).  This computer is readily available for residents and visitors alike to consult, so that anyone interested will thus be able to ponder how any particular contemporary site has developed from its original purpose as a house, farm or seed allotment.

Possible uses for the Database include:
Family History, Land Use Changes, Land Ownership Changes, Building Data, Streetscape Reconstruction for particular periods, Allotment Subdivision History, Creative Writing, Biography.

It is not intended that land ownership details will be continuously updated from that currently included in the Database as this information is readily available from the South Australian Land Titles Office.  However, it is intended that the Database will be enhanced over time with additional information including photographs and other appropriate information.

Records for the purchase of land in South Australia are located in either the General Registry Office (Old Lands Title Office) on Marion Road at Netley or at the Lands Title Office in Grenfell St.  In 1858, the Real Property Act was passed for a system, known as Torrens Title, whereby a copy of the certificate of title was given to the land holder and the second copy was retained by the Registrar General of Deeds.  This meant the transfer of land ownership (ie conveyance) was made by registration and certification rather than deed. Records prior to 1858 for land transactions are found at the General Registry Office.  Records after 1858 are held at the Lands Title Office.

Any additional information and/or corrections to the Database would be appreciated and should be submitted to Reg Butler (phone: (08) 8388 7046).

Additional information regarding the creation and evolution of Hahndorf's streetscape can be obtained from Reg Butler's publication 'From Byways to Highways - Hahndorf's Changing Streetscape'.

Information Included in LocalWiki Pages

Although the complete Hahndorf Allotments Database is not included in Hahndorf LocalWiki, information using data extracted from it is incorporated within certain pages including the following:

• The Hahndorf Founding Families - Place of Residence contains a layout of the Original Hahndorf House and Farm Blocks together with details for each House Block of the current street number and name, plus the original founding owner together with their occupation, originating town and the name of the ship upon which they sailed to South Australia.

• Some Historical Properties contains historical information, stories, photographs and other information of certain properties of interest in Hahndorf.  Also included is the information for that property available from the Hahndorf Allotments Database.

• Earlier information on the Hahndorf Allotments Database can be accessed  from the following pages.

HPDB_3.pdf