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Brisbane
Queen & Edward Streets | 
1862 | 1862 Branch opened 2nd December on the corner of Queen and Edward Streets (29th Report); 1862 December 02 CBCofS opened at Corner Edward & Queen Sts Brisbane about where Tattersalls Club is. (from 1963 January Current Accounts Pg 27).
Article in the Sunday Mail December 1962 "The Rent was Too High": A bank moved.
Eighty-five shillings a week was "outrageous rent" for their Brisbane street corner 100 years ago. The corner was at the intersection of Queen and Edward streets, almost where Tattersall's Club stands today.
When the newly established Brisbane branch of The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited moved in, it paid rent of L2/5/- a week for two rooms in an old draper's shop.
Next door, the corner block was a banana plantation. Across Edward Street, on the site of the Post Office. stood the Women's Jail.
When the landlord proposed increasing the rent fro, 45 shillings to L4/5/- the bank was outraged.
Today it celebrates its centenary in Brisbane in the building it later built for itself, a block away at the corner of Queen and Creek streets.
The bank's Queensland manager (Mr. L.W. Dixon) said yesterday: "We thank the people of Queensland for their support over the last century and assure them of our desire to continue to serve them and the nation in the century that lies ahead."Ian Holston followed up the 1862 photo which has E.B. Southerden Drapery Stores in the foreground, wondering if that name could be a relative of Bruce Southerden who was the Marketing Manager in the Bank.
He replied in September 2018: "Yes, E B Southerden was my great grandfather who sailed out on the “Fortitude” on his own having been
apprenticed to his uncle – a draper in Old Kent Road and sleeping under the shop counter there – and had his 17th
birthday on the ship on 24/11/1848. Fortitude was 519 tons with 253 passengers – another one being Mary Cribb
aged 16 who he later met and married (young lads were strictly segregated from families the whole 5 months at sea).
After some years moving about trying to set himself up (and growing) he bought on Queen Street, now the
widely-seen historical photo. Imagine in those years – lucky us to come along later!!" | Brisbane Office
(Queen & Creek Streets) | 
1870
1967
1975
2009
2011 |
1869 the Bank purchased property corner of Queen & Creek Sts.
1870 This photo is reproduced from "Select Documents of the Nineteenth Century, Vol.2", edited by Harry W. Nunn. The caption reads: "The Brisbane Office of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, erected in 1870. Central Record Office, National Australia Bank, Melbourne."
1893 January Listed in 89th Report;
1934 Listed in Century of Banking;
Two buildings were built and occupied prior to the construction of the final building in 1938 (from Current Accounts January 1963).
1938 final CBC building was constructed. This has since been demolished.
1967 photo in Current Accounts July p35.
Head Carpenter, Harold Larking and French Polisher, Arthur Laybutt with the scale model of Brisbane Office which they restored. It was originally built for the bank by Messrs. Kent & Massie, Sydney architects.
1975 This interior shot of Brisbane Office, Queen and Creek Streets, Brisbane, is reproduced from Current Accounts, January, 1976. It shows the Banking Chamber decorated for the Warana Festival. The effort won first prize in the "Best Florally Decorated Banking Chamber, Insurance House or Finance House.
1975 Listed in Annual Report.
Kerri Kleidon advises that Brisbane Office was pulled down in the mid 1980s. The building there now is called 'Central Plaza One' which is an office block. Central Plaza One is the third tallest skyscraper in Brisbane. The height of the tower is 174m (571ft), it completed construction in 1988.
The NAB's Brisbane Office in on the diagonal corner. It is actually now called '308 Queen Street' . It is a heritage listed building and was originally the 'old' Queensland National Bank building.
2009 Brisbane Office site, now central Plaza One, 345 Queen Street. Photo sourced by John Beer.
2011 November GoogleMaps image of the site sourced by John Beer.
| AMP Place
Cnr Eagle,
Charlotte &
Martket Streets | 
1978 | 1978 as featured in Geoffrey Banham's book. "Brisbane was undergoing rapid inner city expansion, evidenced by cranes across the skyline
wherever you looked. The major insurance company AMP Society had been constructing a new multi-storey office tower near the Brisbane River on land bounded by Eagle, Charlotte and Market Streets. It was to be known as AMP Place. Adjacent to the main tower was a smaller annexed building that was intended as a bank and it had been offered to the CBC Bank as a possible site for a new inner city branch. The AMP Society intended to conduct all its business with that branch and - hank would have prime access to all the employees located within the building. The bank liked the idea, leased the premises and appointed me as inaugural Manager. I had to supervise the
completion of the fit out and attend to all those other matters that had been my responsibility when arlestown Branch was opened in Newcastle. A commencing staff of five was appointed, :tiding me with the expectation that more would follow as the business grew. This was an exciting development both for the city and for me. The exterior of the tower and our annex were den glass in colour and looked very impressive. Some of my peers were envious of this appointment. The branch opened on time on 20th February 1978 with plenty of publicity in the al press, brochures printed for circulation and our inner city customers informed by mail. My Accountant was Edward Hozynka as well as two capable girls, one with strong Greek connections and a Junior." | | 85 Elizabeth Street |  | 1973 branch opened.
1975 Listed in Annual ReportPhotos as featured in Geoffrey Banham's book | | 353-355 George Street, Brisbane | | 1934 Listed in Century of Banking;
1975 Listed in Annual Report | | 131 Leichhardt Street | | 1975 Listed in Annual Report | | Fortitude Valley | | Opened 1887 (78th Report);
1893 January Listed in 89th Report;
1934 Listed in Century of Banking;
1975 Listed in Annual Report. | Wintergarden
189 Queen Street, Brisbane | | 1976 opened (Current Accounts July 1976)
1977 listed in Annual Report
Story by Howard Grove - Manager:
"This was the site of Brisbane's longest established picture theatre, which was purchased by the Bank It is the Bank's intention to redevelop the site and erect the new capital city office on the site It can therefore be said that the Branch in its present form is only temporary, and at some time in the future it will be demolished. The business of the Branch will then be absorbed into the main complex" | | Brisbane temporary representation | 
1972
1976 | 1972 March Brisbane Telegraph Home Exhibition as seen in Current Accounts July 1972.
1976 This photo is reproduced from Current Accounts, July, 1976. It depicts our representation at The Brisbane Telegraph Homes Show. Left to right are: John Gagen, Manager Stafford and Roger Mills, Relieving Staff. |
Last modified: 04/07/2008 00:35 - Brisbane Suburbs
Queensland Country |
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