The Bank of New South Wales Building is a heritage-listed former

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

building located at 33 Queen Street, Brisbane City,

City of Brisbane The City of Brisbane is a local government area (LGA) which comprises the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. Its governing body is the Brisbane City Council. Unlike LGAs in the other mainlan ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. It was designed by Hall & Devereux and built from 1928 to 1930 by F J Corbett & Sons. It is also known as Westpac Bank Building. It was added to the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...

on 21 October 1992.

History

This bank was constructed between 1928–30, replacing an earlier building. The

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and N ...

began operating on the site in rented premises in 1851. In 1853, the bank purchased the property and in 1866 erected a purpose-built bank with residence. The contractor was Hugo William Du Rietz. This first building was demolished in 1928 and replaced by the current building which was completed in 1930. Designed by the firm of Hall and Devereux, it was erected by FJ Corbett & Sons for approximately . It was an example of the pervasive fashion for the

neo-classical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

in commercial and civic buildings of similar scale and materials during this period. 33 Queen Street remained the headquarters of the Bank of New South Wales until a new chief office was built in 1970. Later it became a branch of the Westpac Banking Corporation, a successor of the Bank of New South Wales. In April 2013 the building was sold for $34 million to Abacus Property Group and is no longer used as a bank.

Description

The Westpac Bank building is a six storeyed masonry building located on the corner of Queen and

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

Streets. The structure is steel-framed with reinforced concrete floors. It contains Neo-classical elements that were common in bank architecture of this period. The main facades comprise Helidon freestone as a stone facing on a base of

Uralla Uralla is a town on the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and Thunderbolts Way, north of Sydney and about south west of the city of Armidale, New South Wales, Arm ...

polished granite, that on Queen Street incorporating a " piano nobile" of giant order Ionic

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression membe ...

. This facade projects forward in the immediate area of the columns bringing them to greater prominence. The entablature above the columns incorporates the name "BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES" into the

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

. A decorative

dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian R ...

cornice line runs around the perimeter of the building above this. The

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...

is relatively austere, and the portion above the columns rises to a low apex. The George Street facade also contains five window bays. The three central ones are recessed rather than projecting. The larger openings below the "piano nobile" are arched, with small square openings above them except the main entrance. The stone facing on this section resembles ashlar. Internally the main banking chamber and its entry are predominantly intact. Both the foyer to George Street and that at the corner of Queen and George Streets have been refurbished. Giant order square columns rise from the ground floor through the mezzanine level with gilded

corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

capitals. The building has a rooftop

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

with

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...

Ionic columns, but this is now roofed over. These columns were

veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

h posts from the 1866 bank building and were incorporated in the design of the new building.

Heritage listing

The Bank of New South Wales Building was listed on the

on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The building and site are significant in illustrating the pattern and evolution of Queensland's history. The site has been associated with the Bank of New South Wales/Westpac since 1851. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. The building is significant as the predominantly intact 1920s interior of the ground floor banking chamber represents a rare aspect of Queensland's cultural heritage. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. The building is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of an interwar neo-classical bank building. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The building is important in exhibiting aesthetic characteristics valued by the community, in particular the use of the neo-classical design for a 20th-century financial institution reflecting the dignity and solidity of such institutions and the quality and craftsmanship of the building's main interior spaces. The building makes a significant contribution to the streetscape of Queen and George Streets.

References

Attribution

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Bank of New South Wales building, Brisbane Queensland Heritage Register Brisbane central business district Former bank buildings in Queensland Commercial buildings completed in 1930 Heritage of Brisbane Buildings and structures in Brisbane Articles incorporating text from the Queensland Heritage Register Bank of New South Wales Westpac