The Ballarat Banking Company was a long-lasting regional bank based in the city of Ballarat,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia, operating from 1865 to 1955. It commenced operation in June 1865, having occupied the former Ballarat premises of the

Oriental Bank Corporation The Oriental Bank Corporation (), or "OBC", was a British imperial bank founded in India in 1842 which grew to be prominent throughout the Far East. As an Exchange bank, the OBC was primarily concerned with the finance of trade and exchanges of ...

. It was one of the banks to suspend payments in the 1892-93 banking crisis, closing in March 1892 but reopening in June 1892 after negotiations with creditors. Hugh Dean Thomas Williamson gained his first banking job with the bank 1917. It "confined its activities to the Ballarat district", but " lourishedin its original form" for nearly a century. In 1934, it had branches in Ballarat and three adjoining towns. It was acquired by the

National Bank of Australasia The National Bank of Australasia was a bank based in Melbourne. It was established in 1858, and in 1982 merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney to form National Australia Bank. History In 1858, Alexander Gibb, a Melbourne gentlema ...

in 1955 for £375,000. It held deposits of £712,000 and advances of £439,000 at the time. At its closure it was the last remaining unit bank and provincial bank in Australia. Its closure reduced the amount of independent private trading banks in Australia to six.

References

{{Reflist Defunct banks of Australia Banks established in 1865 1865 establishments in Australia Banks disestablished in 1955 1895 disestablishments in Australia Companies based in Victoria (state)