National Bank of Australasia Building, Mossman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Bank of Australasia Building, Mossman |
|
|---|---|
_(2009).jpg)
National Bank of Australasia Building, 2009
|
|
| Location | 11 Mill Street, Mossman, Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1919 - 1930s (interwar period) |
| Built | 1935-1936 |
| Architect | Lange Leopold Powell |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: National Bank of Australasia Building (former) | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 6 August 2010 |
| Reference no. | 601542 |
| Significant period | 1935 onwards |
| Builders | Arthur E Zillfleisch and Tom Booth |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The National Bank of Australasia Building in Mossman is a special old building. It used to be a bank! It's located at 11 Mill Street in Mossman, Australia. A famous architect named Lange Leopold Powell designed it. Builders Arthur E Zillfleisch and Tom Booth constructed it between 1935 and 1936. This building is important because it shows how towns in Queensland grew. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 6, 2010. This means it is protected for its historical value.
The Old National Bank Building in Mossman
The former National Bank of Australasia building in Mossman is made of stone and wood. It was built between 1935 and 1936. This building shows how much regional towns in Queensland grew. This growth happened during the 1920s and 1930s. These towns were important for sugar farming.
A Look Back: Mossman's Story
Mossman is a town near Port Douglas. It sits on the flat land of the Mossman River. This area is between the Great Dividing Range and the coast. In the late 1800s, people started cutting down cedar trees here. Later, gold was found nearby. Port Douglas became a service port for the goldfields.
How Mossman Grew
Over time, farming became important in the Mossman area. Farmers first grew things like corn and fruit. But the land was better for sugar cane. So, in the 1890s, the Mossman Central Co-operative Mill was built. This mill helped the sugar industry grow a lot.
Mossman town itself started to grow in 1885. In 1911, a big cyclone damaged many buildings. After this, businesses from Port Douglas moved to Mossman. By the 1920s, Mossman became the main town for the area. The Court House and banks moved there. A new hospital opened in 1930. A new road, the Cook Highway, was finished in 1933. All these things made Mossman a busy and important center.
The Bank's Journey
The National Bank of Australasia (NBA) started in Melbourne in 1858. It grew across Australia. In 1920, the NBA opened its first branch in Queensland. In 1922, it took over the Bank of Queensland. This gave the NBA many branches across the state.
The NBA opened its first branch in Mossman in 1929. It rented space in the Exchange Hotel. Banks often rented first to see if a town was good for business. In 1934, the bank decided to buy land in Mossman. This showed that Mossman was doing well, thanks to the sugar industry.
On March 21, 1935, builders Arthur E Zillfleisch and Tom Booth signed a contract. They built the new bank building. It was finished in 1936. The cost was about £320.
The Architect: Lange Leopold Powell
The new bank building was designed by Lange Leopold Powell. He was a well-known architect from Brisbane. He designed many buildings for the NBA between 1922 and 1938. Powell also designed other famous buildings in Brisbane. These include St Martin's War Memorial Hospital and the Brisbane Masonic Temple.
Powell was also important in creating the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. He helped write its rules in 1930. He was also its president from 1932 to 1933.
Banks often used a classical style for their buildings. This style looked strong and reliable. It showed that the bank was trustworthy. The Mossman bank building has an impressive, temple-like front. This was a common style for banks in the 1920s and 1930s.
Changes Over Time
During World War II, from 1943 to 1948, the Mossman NBA branch closed. The building was used as a home. In 1948, the NBA took over the Queensland National Bank. It then closed the old QNB branch in Mossman.
In 1981, the NBA merged with another bank. It became the National Australia Bank Limited (NAB). On April 7, 1986, the NAB branch in Mossman moved. It went to a new, bigger building on Front Street. Front Street had become the main street of the town. Mill Street became less important.
The Douglas Shire Council bought the old NAB building in 1987. They used it for their Engineering Department. In 1997, the council moved to new offices. The old bank building was then used by Centrelink until 2001. It was empty until 2002. Then, Douglas Arts Inc., a community arts group, leased it. It is still used as a community arts center today.
What the Building Looks Like
The former National Bank of Australasia building is on Mill Street. Other old buildings are also on this street. The area around the bank is mostly flat. You can see mountains like Mount Demi and Mount Beaufort from the front steps.
The bank building faces north. It has a simple wooden frame and a gabled roof. But its front, or facade, is very grand. It looks like a temple. It has large columns and other classical features. The columns and walls near the ground are covered in a special finish called terrazzo.
Outside the Bank
Four steps lead up from the street to a small porch, called a portico. These steps are also made of terrazzo. The words "Douglas Shire Council" are carved into one step. The floor of the porch has "National Bank" written on it. The main entrance door has been changed. It is now an aluminum door.
Tall windows are on either side of the front door. They have steel frames and many small glass panes. All the windows on the front have decorative iron grilles.
Behind the grand front, the rest of the building is long and narrow. It is made of timber and covered with weatherboards. The roof is gabled. The front part of the roof is hidden by the facade. The back part of the roof is hipped. The roof is covered with metal sheeting.
On the eastern side, there are four tall windows. They have wooden frames and many panes. The western side is similar. But one window has been changed into a door with a ramp.
Inside the Bank
Inside the front door is the main banking room. It is a large room, about 11 meters long and 7 meters wide. The ceilings are high, about 4 meters. The walls are covered with vertical wooden boards. There is a decorative rail around the room. The ceilings have plaster and decorative roses.
At the back of the main room, there is a wall made of fiberboard. This was added later. Behind it is the strong room, which still has its original door. Most of the bank's old fittings are gone. The floor is now carpeted. The old lights have been replaced with fluorescent lights.
At the very back of the building, there are two additions made of weatherboard. These include toilets and a kitchen. These parts are not considered historically important. There is also a new garage building behind the bank. It is not historically important either.
Why This Building is Special
The former National Bank of Australasia building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 6, 2010. It is important for several reasons.
Showing Queensland's History
This building helps us understand Queensland's history. It shows the time of growth in North Queensland. This growth was due to the sugar industry in the 1920s and 1930s. The bank's grand front was designed to show the bank's strength. It also shows how Mossman became the main town for the Douglas Shire.
A Great Example of Its Kind
This building is a great example of a small bank building. It was built for a rural town and its farming area. It has an impressive stone front with columns and a porch. This front hides a simpler wooden building behind it. It still has its original banking room and strong room. This shows what a bank building of its type was like.
The building also shows the work of architect Lange Leopold Powell. He designed many buildings in Queensland. He was very important in Australian architecture. He often designed bank buildings with a strong, classical front. The Mossman bank is a good example of his work in regional towns.
Its Beautiful Look
The former National Bank of Australasia building is also important for its beauty. Its size, shape, materials, and design make it a special part of Mossman's look. Many buildings in the town are one or two stories tall. They have formal fronts facing the street, but simpler structures behind. The classical design of this bank's front is especially beautiful. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s for banks and other important buildings. It has made a big impact on Queensland's buildings.
