In 1909 the Joint Stock Bank became the Australian Bank of Commerce. They sold their Albury premises to the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney in June 1911. The Border Morning Mail reported that the price paid for the "massive and palatial structure, with two storey residential quarters ... would constitute a record in Albury."' 1911 purchased 1877 Joint Stock Bank; The Australian Joint Stock Bank with residence was built in Dean St in 1877 diagonally opposite the post office. "Without doubt it will be the finest specimen of architecture of its king in the district," the Border Post reported. This did not prevent the bank's successor from 1911, the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, demolishing the building in 1936 for a new bank and offices. The National Australia Bank still occupies the site.
1927 Inspector's Report: Albury T. Barnett, Manager. Nice and pleasant to everybody, but has no means of getting about, and is hardly big enough for Albury. H.N. Richardson, Accountant. Good manner and address. Takes an interest in his work. Should now be capable of managing a Branch. Has a car, gets about and is popular N.G. McIlree, Teller. Fair manner and appearance. Fair penman. Willing and obliging. Time to shift him - 5 years. J.W. Timms, Ledger Keeper. Well set up lad of fair to good appearance. Casual manner. Good penman. Fair ledger keeper. S.W.R. Stratford, Junior. Somewhat poor appearance. Writing rather poor. Seems willing. Business brisk - ample for staff Office neat and clean. Town continues to grow. Dalgety, Farmers and Graziers and Younghusband building new wool stores. (Richardson is the only typewriter. Barnett gives him everything to type. This is unfair to an Accountant. A Manager should do some typing himself and break the rest of his staff into it. Instructed him so. As to a second machine?) Has one. 1934 Listed in Century of Banking. 1936 new building by Kent and Massie. The bank building pictured in 1920s was demolished in March 1937 and in December 1937, the CBC Bank opened a new building on the site. Branch address from Canberra Times ad 21/6/1982 Photo Dean St 9/05 by David Jobson, similar photo 11/05 by Kevin Greenaway.
Heritage Listed: Forms an important scale element on Dean and Kiewa Street intersection. One of the several new bank buildings at that time. Historically this site has always been associated with banking corporations. Building is of streetscape significance. Important corner site. Original building was monumental structure built in the Victorian Free Classical style. The second bank continued the classic motif but in a more modified form of the Inter War Stripped Classical style with Art Deco motifs. The bank structure at the corner has always been visually prominent against its 'wings' along Dean and Kiewa Streets. The current building forming a strong corner element, was constructed in 1936 in the Inter-War Classical style with Art Deco motifs and despite several renovations remains relatively unchanged. Substantial and very nicely detailed brick and stucco building. Terracotta blocks around bank entrance. External Materials: Brick.. Style: Inter-War Stripped Classical. Original Australian Joint Stock Bank which was built in 1877. Traded as the Australian Bank of Commerce until 1911 when purchased by the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney. In 1935 architects Kent & Massie prepared a proposal for renovation but in 1936 the building was demolished and the present premises erected. Architects Kent and Massie. Renovations were undertaken in 1953 by Robertson & Marks, Architects and another renovation was carried out in 1959 by architects Meldrum & Noad. 2007 photo by David Jobson who says: "There's the main front entrance, then to the left, three sets of windows, then the side entrance in Kiewa St. Still the NAB branch." 2011 November nab Albury Agribusiness Centre at 549 Kiewa Street adjacent to Albury City Council, close to a large club not too far from CBD GoogleMaps sourced by John Beer.
2017 December Border Mail article sourced by Warren Ebbeck: THEN AND NOW By Greg Ryan, Albury and District Historical SocietyMajor banks established relatively early in Albury in the nineteenth century and it was not long before they built impressive banking premises to show off their brand and attract customers. The most imposing building was the premises of the Australian Joint Stock Bank on the corner of Dean and Kiewa streets. The bank bought the land in 1876 for £1,800 on a site known at the time as "Day's Corner." In May 1877 the Border Post reported a "rather novel sight of a pugilistic encounter on the scaffold of a two-story building in Albury ... the combatants were two bricklayers engaged in creating the new Australian Joint Stock Bank ... the first sign of hostilities was the knocking down of one of the men by his mate with a bricklayer's hod ... the injured one rushed on his aggressor, and a rough hand-to-hand combat raged, both men in imminent danger of falling headlong into the street below ... they were forcibly held until they had calmed down, and exhibited tokens of being amenable to reason:' The building opened in December 1877. With the merger of the CBC and National banks in 1983, the National Bank moved into the building. Visit the Albury and District Historical Society web-site at https://alburyhistory. org.au/ 2022 August David Jobson: I attach a photo of I think, the original Commercial Banking Company of Sydney in Albury. It was built for the bank in 1859 and became the Criterion Hotel in 1893 and later, the Gloucester Hotel in 1935. This building and history pre-dates the other one built in 1877 for the Australian Joint Stock Bank (picture below) and which was taken over by The Commercial Banking Company in 1911. They demolished this building in 1936 and built a new one which is still on the same site and is the NAB today. These pictures are from an old book of past and present heritage building in the Albury city area. The author was well known local historian Howard Jones. 2024 October David Jobson took this photo and advised: in Albury yesterday and noticed the old CBC main Dean Street branch is now selling donuts. Our past and esteemed General Managers would turn over in their graves! |