In the 50 years since this journal published Ruoff's widely cited four part article there has been much incremental change to the different Australian Torrens systems of registered land title in addition to some radical re-interpretation of title registration basics. Further, the basis for Ruoffs observations on the Australian systems has been wholly replaced by the Land Registration Act 2002 passed in early 2002. It is an opportune time to update "An Englishman..".