OFFICERS CLUB Inc.
representing Officers and families of

The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited

and its subsidiaries & affiliates.


Home Up

N Suburban

Neutral Bay
228 Military Road

 






1976
1987

2006

2010

 
Opened 1909 (122nd Report);

Old photo courtesy Kevin Meyer.

Rare old photo taken by Frank Chapman, who relieved the tellers there.

Heritage Listed: An interestingly styled Federation Free Classical commercial building which was an early local bank and remains a prominent local commercial premises. Relic of the early twentieth century commercial boom along Military Road.
This building is designed in the Federation Arts and Crafts style.  A two storey brick building with roof concealed behind a stepped parapet on a triangular site with corner entry though a classical portico casing of carved sandstone. Classical columns frame the window above.


1929 December 6 Listed in The Week, Brisbane advertising page 35.
1934 Listed in Century of Banking;
1975 Listed in Annual Report.

1976 photo submitted by David Jobson in July 2013, who was Accountant there at the time.

1987 list of Managers and premises details file supplied by David Jobson who said "I was accountant here in 1976. Manager was Alec James. A peculiarly designed branch in that the strongroom was centrally located and everyone worked around it, difficult to see what was going on in the place!"

2006 photo by John Ness

2010 Google photo sourced by John Beer

Newport Beach 1975 Listed in Annual Report.
Newtown
325 King Street

1920


2010

Branch opened 1865 (34th Report);
withdrawn 1870 (44th Report).

Statement of Significance: An attractive suburban bank designed by a well known Victorian architect, this forms an important part of the Court House - Bank group around the intersection of Australia and King Streets.
Physical Description: A two storey bank of simple and classic design. The building is of brickwork, with sandstone base and pediment. The otherwise plain facade is decorated by a small pediment above the door and three string courses between floors. The hipped, slate roof has bracketed eaves
Designed by William Wardell and built in 1885 for a cost of 2,805 pounds. The interior of the building was altered in 1959.  Curent use: retail.
Part of a group of civic buildings which is indicative of the past growth of the King Street area. Significant as it is a work by known architect, William Wardell.
[Aesthetic Significance] Local- A representative example of Wardell's work. Representative of banks that developed in local town centres.
Integrity/Intactness: The exterioir is relatively intact, despite renovations. Some integrity lost due to change of use and no reference to past use as bank.

Opened 1881 (67th Report);
Built 1885;
operating in 1892;
1929 December 6 Listed in The Week, Brisbane advertising page 35.
1975 Listed in Annual Report.
2010 October 14 photo (c) newtown frafitti on Flickr who says: Its architects often designed very distinctive-looking buildings. This one was closed after National Bank bought CBCo in 1982 and has struggled since to acquire a commercial identity.
North Auburn
125 Parramatta Road
1975 Listed in Annual Report.

2007 February site of North Auburn branch, which has disappeared, photos by John Beer.

North Parramatta
616 Church Street


1974 listed in Sydney White Pages
Agency of 28 George Street Parramatta branch at 616 Church Street.

2007 photos by John Beer.

NAB North Parramatta branch at 426 Church Street which took over CBC North Parramatta agency is situated within this building.
Northbridge (receiving Office of Willoughby)
154 Sailors Bay Road

c1927
1934 Listed in Century of Banking

2008 July 'The recently demolished shop in front (of the old bakery built around 1924) was built about 1926, when it was leased as an agency of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Ltd, probably the second bank in Northbridge.  The bank stayed there only two years, when it moved to the site of the present Tennis Shop.' from The old bakery by Pam Clifford in The 202 newsletter of the Northbridge Progress Assn, submitted by Chris Rush.

North Sydney

historical


c1910

1920

1943
Listed in 125th Report, 1911;
c1910 photo courtesy Kevin Meyer.

1920 photo on corner of Lane Cove Road from Miller Street panorama (click here to view) supplied by Christopher Rush.

Bank of NSW is in the centre, Post Office between and CBC at far right.

1929 December 6 Listed in The Week, Brisbane advertising page 35.
1934 Listed in Century of Banking.


Photographed in 1943 by Frank Chapman
 

North Sydney
MLC Building,
Miller Street
1957 B&W photo of branch and MLC building from Current Accounts.

1977 listed in Annual Report

North Sydney
Napier House,
140 Pacific Highway
1977 listed in Annual Report

1984 December 18 NAB General Circular 2385 NAB unified CBC 140 Pacific Hwy & NBA Northpoint at NAB Northpoint North Sydney

2017 December
Ian Holston sourced the following information from Helen Cadzow at NAB. CBC opened Napier House on 15 September 1975 and renamed it 140 Pacific Hwy in October 1977. On 16 November 1984, the ex-CBC 140 Pacific Hwy branch unified with the ex-NBA North Sydney – North Point branch in the ex-NBA premises (corner pacific Hwy and Miller St).

I understand the NAB Branch in North Point was established for High End Customers , there were also similar premises established in the MLC Tower in the city and another in a large building near the Regent Hotel.

I worked at North Sydney Branch for  over 6 years in the sixties. The North Point building was built in the seventies, original buildings there had been Washington H. Soul Pattinson and a store called Arnolds.  Arnolds was owned by the Keith Family, both were customers of the Bank. The Keith’s sold their property to developers in the early seventies for well over a million dollars. Shortly afterwards in 1972 they were on a trip to the UK. I ran into Mrs Keith at West End Branch one afternoon and she gave us free tickets to see a play on the West End. We were later invited to dinner with Peter Martin then Manager London Office and Allan Holmes then Manager at West End, with our wives.

The CBC managers were:
R.E. Hine                       1975-1977
W.M. Gray                     1977-1980
B.A. McGirr                   1980-1983
I.J. Christopherson        1983-1984

There is a building on the corner which is now the Australian Catholic University and I suspect it has been slightly altered since the original building opened.

Last modified 16/12/2017 12:44

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