NEW A.N.Z. BANK BUILDING

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 15

NEW A.N.Z. BANK BUILDING

A contract to build a new bank for the Australia and New Zealand Bank, Ltd, in Hereford Street has been let to the Christchurch firm of Paynter and Hamilton, Ltd. When the building is completed it will be the A.N.Z. Bank’s main Christchurch office. Demolition of the old premises will begin soon, and during the estimated 14 months construction period the bank will trade from the old “Star-Sun” building in Cathedral Square. The new building will comprise two main floors, a basement and a plant room as a third floor at the rear. It will cover most of the site and have a floor area of 20,300 square feet, compared with 8500 square feet in the present building.

The frontage, which will be faced with granite and mosaic, will have a central entrance over which there will be a bronze-faced cantilevered canopy. Large single windows on each side of the entrance will present a clear view of the banking chamber. The bank will have a public entrance from the rear via a right-of-way from Worcester Street

The interior will be free of pillars, the 60 feet width being spanned by barrel vaultshaped pre-cast concrete units which will also serve as the floor for the upper storey. A passenger lift will serve the basement ground and first floor, where the managerial offices will be located. The public areas will be carpeted. The bank’s history in Christchurch goes back to 1857 when the Union Bank of Australia, Ltd, opened in Cashel Street The Christchurch agent Mr J. F. Lucas, and a teller, Mr F. E. Wright had made an all-day trek over the hills from Lyttelton with £l5OO in gold and silver and £3OOO in notes, with the books and boxes necessary to open the office. A Hereford Street site was

bought for $3OO, but a building was not put on it until 1864. The freehold area was originally half an acre, but it is now occupied partly by other buildings. Cecil Mountfort Canterbury’s leading architect was an exponent of the Gothic style, and designed a building, but the bank's inspector in Melbourne did not like Gothic architecture. Plans crossed and recrossed the Tasman until the Christchurch manager suggested tactfully that an Australian architect be engaged. This was done, and the building erected at a cost of $25,566. Business was transferred to the building in September, 1864. The building was in brick and described as being in the “Italian style.” The main feature was the banking chamber, round which ran a highly ornamented Etruscan stringcourse. The ceiling was panelled and the furniture polished cedar.

A yard at the back had stables, a coach-house and a groom’s dwelling, and attached to the main bank build-

ing was the manager’s residence.

The Union Bank and the Bank of Australasia merged in 1951 to form the A.N.Z. Bank.

The new building, a sketch plan of which is printed above, has been designed by Griffiths, Moffat and Partners, of Christchurch.