The Cutline
The Torrens Title System of land ownership was invented in South Australia and is now used in other Australian States and around the world. Named after its inventor Sir Robert Richard Torrens, the system was first used in South Australia in 1858. Prior to this point providing proof of ownership of a parcel of land was complicated, time consuming and often expensive. (For further information please go to the Real Estate Institute of South Australia website).
Southern Yorke Peninsula was originally surveyed for closer settlement by government surveyors in the late 1860’s, early 1870’s and consequently offered for sale as farming land in varying sized sections in the 1870’s. So, reference to a parcel of land would read: Section 44, Hundred of Moorowie, in the County of Fergusson, in the State of South Australia.
This road named “Cutline” is one of seven roads on Yorke Peninsula which run in a straight line from one coast to the other. In this case between Hardwicke Bay and Stansbury, 30 km away. This road at this point is the “cutline” between the Hundreds of Moorowie to the south and Minlacowie to the north. You will come across other roads that have been named which refer to the “Hundred” this is the only road named after the straight “cut” drawn by the surveyors dividing the hundreds. At one time this road also served as the division between the two councils of Minlaton and Yorketown.