AUCKLAND DEEDS OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16300, 5 August 1916, Page 9

AUCKLAND DEEDS OFFICE.

BUILDING RECONSTRUCTED.

MUCH-NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS.

Dnux/J the last two years a work of complete transformation and reconstruction has been going on in the old building in High Street, which was formerly used in part for the Magistrate's Court and Police Court and offices, and in part for the Land and Deeds and Stamp Departments. The work is now practically completed. The building is a, very old one, having been originally erected for a church when Auckland was in its infancy, and having been added to from time to time. The external walls were thick and strong, and these have been retained. But additions have been made; practically all the internal or partition walls have been removed, and the whole structure has been remodelled to provide much-needed accommodation for the Land and Deeds and

Stamp Departments. The entrance for the general public is in Court House Lane, giving access to both the Deeds and Stamp Departments. A private entrance to the

Land and Deeds Department, for the use I of solicitors and searching clerks in parti--1 cular, is provided on the west front of the building. Largest Strongroom in Dominion. All the front or western half of the ground floor has been transformed into a huge strong-roomwithout doubt the largest in the Dominionwhere are kept the register books, and all the valuable documents and records of the Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Department. The floor is of solid concrete, and the ceiling of reinforced concrete, strengthened with steel girders. The windows have- fireproof iron shutters and steel roller blinds. The room has been so planned that the light is good throughout. There are nearly 1000 large volumes altogether to be accommodated in this strong-room, while in an inner strongroom the bulk of the documents are filed. All documents are now inaccessible to> the public, though produced at the counter as required.

Provision for Plans. In another large strong-room are more than 10,000 deposited plans. It may be mentioned that the total records in the building number about three-quarters of a million. The plan strong-room is a very special feature. Hitherto there has been no proper provision for the plans, which have had to lie around wherever space could be found for them, and have suffered much damage in consequence. Many were down at the Survev Office in Customs Street, outside the control of the Registrar, and it was not an uncommon I thing for a plan to be lost sight of alto- 1 gether for months at a time, or for even worse things to happen. As these plans formed a vital part of the title to property, and could easily be altered by the stroke of a pen, the seriousness of the position ran be imagined: theoretically, only the most pressing necessity justified their being aljowed out of the Registrar's custody. Now they are all safely housed in drawers in the plan strong"room. ° Other Improvements.

In the large room provided for the Land Transfer draughting staffcomprising the men who check the Land Transfer numbers of special draughtingtables have been installed, and conveniences have also been provided for private sut-veyors who require to use. or refer, to the plans. The chief land transfer draughtsmen's room is adjoining. Copying, index, and other rooms are provided. Many facilities are now installed throughout the building for tho proper care and convenient handling cf the records. The building is lighted an-J heated by electricity, which has been installed with every precaution for safety. The Stamp Department occupies a suite of rooms at the north-western corner of the building, upstairs; and has a good strong-room, and conveniences such as were previously entirely absent. Difficulties During Building. It has been a very difficult task to carry on the work of the Department while such a complete reconstruction of the building was being effected, and some risks have bad to be taken, but there is at last in Auckland a modern Deeds Office, modelled somewhat upon th« plan of the Land Titles Offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The work was carried out by the Public Works Department on a plan submitted by the District Land Registrar, and approved bv tho Public Service Accommodation "Board and bv the Minister in charge of the Land and Deeds Department.