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Research and resources

Researching the history and heritage of your property, such as its age, past association, inhabitants, the significance of various components and the setting is an important process in the planning for routine maintenance, conservation works as well as new development work to ensure any alterations and additions are historically accurate and undertaken in a manner that is sympathetic to the place’s heritage significance.

Hornsby Local Studies

Hornsby Local Studies within Hornsby Library has a wealth of resources documenting the history of the Shire, its suburbs, development and well-known people and families.

The Local Studies resources include books, reports, local newspapers, pamphlet files, aerial photos, maps and street directories.

The Local Studies team can also help you learn more about your house and the people who have lived in it before you.

Research the history of your house.

Hornsby Shire Recollects

Many of the Local Studies collection items including local maps, subdivision plans and photos are available to view online via Council’s interactive database for the Hornsby Shire Library Local History Collection, Hornsby Shire Recollects. It is a valuable resource with accessible historical material belonging to community organisations and local history enthusiasts. It provides easy online access to a rich store of heritage material relating to Hornsby Shire, its people, and events.

Local Historical Societies

The history of Hornsby Shire and its suburbs is well documented particularly by the local historical societies and its members. The historical societies create their own publications and have independent resource libraries which may help you in your research to discover the history and heritage of your place.

Heritage Publications

Heritage NSW

NSW Environment and Heritage offers and sells a wide range of useful publications containing guidelines and information on heritage and conservation

To access the collection of heritage publications available on their website, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Publications Search
  2. Select “Heritage” in the topics filter
  3. Select update at the bottom of the Topics list. All of the heritage publications will show up
  4. At the top right, select your preferred sort option – e.g. newest to oldest, alphabetical order
General publications on heritage and conservation

Local Heritage Items

  • Houses of Hornsby Shire, Volume I, by Helen Baker and May Elven, 1989
  • Houses of Hornsby Shire, Volume II, by Helen Baker, 1998

Colour Schemes:

  • Camden Material and Colour Guide
  • Colour Schemes for Old Australian Houses, by Ian Evans, Clive Lucas, Ian Stapleton, 1984
  • More Colour Schemes for Old Australian Houses, by Ian Evans, Clive Lucas, Ian Stapleton, 1992

Gardens:

  • Traditional Gardens in Australia, by Peter Cuffley, 1991
  • Interwar gardens – A guide to the history, conservation and management of gardens of 1915-1940, by The National Trust of Australia (NSW)

Building Styles

  • A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture, by Richard Apperly, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds, 1989
  • Australian House Styles, by Maisy Stapleton and Ian Stapleton, 1997

Restoration Work

  • Getting the Details Right: Restoring Australian Houses 1890’s – 1920’s, by Ian Evans
  • The Federation House: A Restoration Guide, by Ian Evans, 1983
  • How to Restore the Old Aussie House, by Ian Stapleton, 1983
  • The Australian Home, by Ian Evans, 1983
  • Australian Houses of the 20’s and 30s, by Peter Cuffley, 1989

The Government Architect NSW

The Government Architect NSW provides a series of Design guides to support the implementation of the government policies to reinforce the importance of good design in the planning process and creating better places and considering he needs of people and the community.

The Design Guide for Heritage is a useful resource to guide the outcomes of good design in heritage places.

NSW State Archives Collection

The NSW State Archives Collection documents the daily work of the NSW Government and its agencies from 1788 to today. This vast collection of records includes a diverse range of items and formats, such as letters, files, photographs, maps, posters, film, video and e-records from the history of NSW.

NSW Spatial Services

Spatial Services holds a wide range of aerial photography and other historical imagery of NSW for viewing and purchase. Aerial Imagery is captured across NSW and is available with a range of years from 1930s through to current. These can reveal useful information about the original property extent, buildings, driveways and previous land use.

More information

If you have any questions please phone Council on 9847 6666 during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm).