Hi Folks, Everyone's has been terrifically helpful with replies to Chris's question but I think it's time that I contributed to the conversation with "lesson time" and some more useful tips for these terrific plans. Answering Chris's question first - Chilwell is part of the Parish of Moorpanyal [plan no. 3179 in VPRS 16171]. On the plan Irish Town would be in Section III overflowing in to Section IV - both in lower right hand corner. Chilwell was loosely Sections III, IV, V and VI. A LOT of the answers to the questions and suggestions etc. can be found on our Geelong and District web site ... www.zades.com.au Use the drop down menus across the page ... GEELONG and DISTRICT LOCATIONS TOWNS, PLACES and PARISHES CHILWELL entry shows ... Other Names: Irish Town and Marnock Vale (2 different locations within Chilwell) Parish: Moorpanyal 1955 Municipality: Newtown & Chilwell Current Municipality: Greater Geelong Land District: Geelong County: Grant GEELONG and DISTRICT LOCATIONS PLACES IN c.1882-1890 Chilwell appears under Newtown & Chilwell [a simple Ctrl-F would find the word Chilwell on this page] GEELONG and DISTRICT LOCATIONS WHERE IS IT or WAS IT? Places like Irish Town, Marnock Vale and Mercer's Hill are included in this list. And if you use the SEARCH box near the top right of the web page, and search for CHILWELL you'll get plenty of hits on the web site - too many in fact as I haven't removed the individual A-Z pages for towns (now consolidated into one file!). I can see I've got a bit more housework to do on the web site! <vbg> And looking further than Geelong and District, if you look at the PROV web site, select SEARCHING FIND BY NUMBER Enter 16171 Click on ACCESSING THE RECORDS IN THIS SERIES TAB Click on Consignment P3 Click on County and Parish Index This is NOT an index as most of us would imagine but four maps covering all of Victoria - if you know where a place is (towns / places shown on the map) you can then see what PARISH and COUNTY the place is in. A definite MUST HAVE for everyone! Melbourne and Suburbs are NOT included in these four maps - that one actually appears in Consignment P2. And while you're looking at P2 - this includes maps / plans for Closer Settlements and Soldier Settlements - how to waste away another week or two! Another place to look on the Geelong & District web site .... If you look at the Potpourri Indexes ... http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes You will notice Crown Land Application Registers, Crown Land Sales Registers, Land Applications under Section 47 in 1863, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. - in other words a lot of "local" registers are gradually being indexed and included in the Potpourri Database. And remember, the GEELONG LAND DISTRICT initially stretched all the way to the South Australian border! I think that's probably more than enough to absorb in one lesson! Just one final comment - beware of referring to "Land Files" - a lot of us would think you were referring to the 1,000s and 1,000s of individual files at PROV with correspondence and details of our ancestors land dealings! That's a whole different saga but the Parish Plans and Town Plans etc. will certainly help you find your way into those magic land files! I hope you haven't gone cross-eyed and your eyes glazed over - I just thought it was time to clarify a few things and hopefully help with a few more tips. Regards ............. Susie Z