The title of this entry makes it sound as if this is just an ordinary Westpac branch outlet. Of course, it’s not.
What you see here is the the heritage listed headquarters of the original Bank of NSW.
Built between 1927 -32, it is one of several heritage buildings in and around Martin Place. Many of Sydney’s grandest old buildings can be seen here and, because they are clustered together, you can see a lot in a short time.
Australia’s first bank, the Bank of NSW, was founded in the very, very early days of the colony.
At the time, there’d been all sorts of currency problems. Coins were in short supply and had to be shipped out from England and in the meantime, colonists made their own arrangements. They bartered and swapped goods and services, or used promissory notes and IOUs. Trading in rum became one of the main ways of doing business. It become clear that a bank was needed to bring about some stability and in 1817, the Bank of NSW was established.
It was not until the 1850s that the bank relocated to this site.
As it grew, a new and suitably impressive headquarters was needed so in the 1920s, architects were called in.
The building we see here today is a tall, relatively narrow building. All the focus is on the main entrance, a massively over-sized stone archway flanked by two rose coloured marble columns.
Even the coat-of-arms above the entrance is hugely over-sized. The emu and black swan on either side of the central shield are taller than your average man. It’s an interesting crest which also includes a golden kangaroo and a rising sun. The shield is worth a closer look. It has symbols of a sheep and a cow, a ship and wheat, and a pick and spade. They represent the the wool & pastoral industries, the agricultural industry, and mining - basically the things that made NSW and the bank rich.
The Latin motto "Sic fortis Etruria crevit", is roughly translated as ‘Thus strong Etruria prospered’, a line from the ancient Roman writer, Virgil.
NOTE: For those interested in other heritage buildings in Martin Place, the most noteworthy are directly across the road - the GPO (1866), the old sandstone Colonial Mutual Life Building (1892-3), the ANZAC Cenotaph, the former State Savings Bank (1928), and Challis House (1909).