Building Plans Source Sheet No. 22
The Council was required to approve plans of all proposed new building work within the City from the introduction of the Building Act in 1881, however it was not until 1924, following the passage of another Building Act, that the Council was required to retain copies of these plans. Although copies of plans of non-Council building works prior to 1924 are not generally held, some basic information about earlier works approved by the Council is available (for details see the City Archives Source Sheet No. 51 History andRecords of the Building Surveyor’s Branch). Building applications submitted to the Council for approval by the Building Surveyor comprised not only plans of new building construction work, but also plans of demolitions, alterations and additions to existing structures, internal fit-outs and refurbishment’s, and generally included copies of building specifications and calculations. Early building applications were usually lacking in much of the architectural and engineering detail that characterizes more recent ones, and seldom included plans of electrical, plumbing or mechanical services, soil reports or other site specific documentation. Plans of State and Commonwealth government construction works did not have to be approved by the Council.
Archival Sources
Record Description / Date Range / Accession Number(s)Digest of Proceedings - Town Acre Index / 1872 -
Index to Pre 1923 Building Act Buildings / c1820 –1923 / 2581
Index to Building Application Plans / 1925-1981 / 4277
Building Costs Index / 1925-1955 / 278
Return of Plans Submitted to the Council and Local Board of Health under Building Act 1881 / 1882-1925 / 1109, 2168, 4919
Return of Surveyor of Notices Received for Building Work under Building Act 1881 / 1882 - 1925 / 1173, 2167, 4920
Building Application Plans / 1924 - / 2482
Building Plans Register / 1924-1981 / 1170
Building Surveyor’s Dockets / 1925 - 1977 / 4786, 4837, 4876, 4877,
5221
Building Surveyor’s Files / 1925 - 1983 / 1178, 3881, 4567, 4818,
4841
Building Docket Registers / 1923-1960 / 1166
Register of Correspondence with [Building Act] Referees [Book] / 1925 / 1174
Building Act 1923 Register of Notices / 1925-1933 / 1175
Determination of [Building Act] Referees / Minutes of Reference Boards [Books] / 1925-1964 / 1176
Building Act Notices Dangerous and Neglected Structures / 1933-1946 / 2103
Notice of Intention to Demolish (or Remove) a Building (or a substantial part of a Building) [Forms] / 1946-1964 / 4573
Plans of Demolished Buildings / c1922 - 1980 / 1829, 2630
Building Plans and Drawings - Corporation Properties / 1881 - 1971 / 423, 1103, 3984
Plans of the Town Hall / 1862 - 1981 / 423,1099, 2004,2207, 5387
Original Drawings of Eagle Chambers / 1873 / 919
City Engineer’s Plan Register / c1881-1951 / 4520, 4626, 4627
Microfilm (Aperture) Plan Records – City Engineer’s Department / c1880 - 1972 / 3935
Maps and Plans as Listed in the Catalogue of Plans and Maps in the Museum Collection / c1836-1970 / 3038, 4889
City Engineer’s Department - Plans of Buildings / 1922-1934 / 4358
Plans and Specifications of Adelaide Aquatic Centre
/ 1968 - 1970 / 1989, 4673
Applications in Accord with Building Act 1881 [TA 95 Grenfell Street, Adelaide Fruit and Produce Exchange / 1908 / 176
Report of Lord Mayor’s Committee on Victoria Square / 1971
Heritage Services Black Files [Files Maintained During the City of Adelaide Heritage Study] / 1999 / 5800
Access
Written authorisation of building owners is required to gain access to plans of buildings that are still standing. Copies of building plans can generally be made available provided the consent of the copyright holder is obtained (for further details see City Archives Source Sheet No.49Access to Building Plans). Researchers wanting to look at plans of public buildings or infrastructure should be aware that details of the request, including your name and address, may be forwarded to SAPOL, who have requested we do this in the interests of national security.
Further Information
City Archives: Topham Mall, off Currie and Waymouth Streets, Adelaide 5000
Telephone: 8203 7439 Fax: 8203 7336 Email: