Bank of Australasia Headquarters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Former Bank of Australasia |
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View of building from Collins Street
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| General information | |
| Type | Bank |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Address | 394-398 Collins Street |
| Town or city | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°49′0.43″S 144°57′40.51″E / 37.8167861°S 144.9612528°E |
| Current tenants | Residential and Apartments at Melbourne |
| Construction started | 1876 |
| Completed | 1881 |
| Renovated | 1929, 1970 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Reed and Barnes, A. K. Henderson |
The former Bank of Australasia Headquarters is a historic building in Melbourne, Australia. It used to be a bank's main office. You can find it on the corner of Queen Street and Collins Street. This area was once the main financial hub of Melbourne. Many old banks from the 1800s were located here.
The building's look is a mix of two different times. The first two floors were built in 1875-1876. They were designed by famous architects named Reed & Barnes. Later, in 1929-1931, three more floors were added. These new floors matched the original style. They were designed by A&K Henderson.
The Bank of Australasia later joined with another bank in 1951. They formed the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. The new bank sold the building in 1974. Since 2013, it has been an apartment building called Treasury on Collins. It was one of the first buildings to be listed on the Victorian Heritage Register in 1974. This means it's a very important historical site.
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How Was the Building Designed?
The story of this building's design is quite interesting. It was built in two main stages. These stages were 55 years apart. Two different groups of architects worked on it.
The First Design (1870s)
The first architects were Reed & Barnes. They designed a two-story building. It had a style called Renaissance Revival. This style looks like old Roman or Greek buildings. The ground floor looked very strong and solid. It had rough-cut stone blocks. The upper floor was smoother. It had columns on the corners and a large ledge at the top.
The building used a special type of column called Doric order. These columns were square. They made the building look very strong. This design showed how much the economy in Victoria was growing in the 1870s. Even though it was only two floors, it was very tall. It reached over 20 meters high. The building covered a large area of land. The outside walls used special stone from New Zealand. The base was made of local bluestone.
The main entrance was on Collins Street. It led to a tall banking hall inside. This hall had windows from a courtyard on the west side. The main offices faced Queen Street. The basement held the bank's main safe. Two smaller safes were on the ground floor. These were used for daily banking. Offices for the bank workers were on the top floor.
Adding More Floors (1920s)
A big change happened in the late 1920s. This was just before the Great Depression. Three more stories were added on top of the original two. This was common back then. Older buildings were often strong enough to hold new floors. People also admired the original design.
The architects for the additions were A&K Henderson. One of the Hendersons had worked for Reed & Barnes before. This might be why they were chosen. The new floors also used the same stone from New Zealand. They were designed to match the original look. The third floor was a bit shorter. The fourth floor looked like an attic. The fifth floor was set back.
There was a small change to the windows. The first-floor windows used to be arched. They were changed to square ones. The new upper floor then got arched windows. The inside of the building was completely redone. A new banking hall was built on the ground floor. It had a large skylight dome. Later, the building was changed again. More floors were added. In 2001, it became an apartment-hotel.
Why Is This Building Important?
The former Bank of Australasia is very important for several reasons.
Architectural Importance
Heritage Victoria says the building is important for its design. It used special columns and corner decorations. This made the building look like a grand, three-dimensional classical structure. Even though it only decorated two sides. Using stone from New Zealand shows how wealthy the bank was. It also shows its connections in the 1870s. The additions in 1929-1931 are also important. They show how cleverly new levels could be added to an old design.
Historical Importance
This building is historically important. It was the main office for a major bank for almost 100 years. This was from 1876 to 1974. Its location on a corner in Melbourne's banking area was key. Melbourne was the most important business center in Australia at that time. The bank's design showed its strength and trustworthiness. This was the image the bank wanted to share with the public.
The way the banking hall, safes, and offices were set up is also important. It shows how a major bank operated. It also shows the different levels of staff. The boardroom from 1929 is a rare example. It helps us understand how banking business was done back then.
Gallery
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Entry from Collins Street.
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Ground level banking chamber, now restaurant and bar.
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The building (far right) as seen from Queen Street
