Bank of New South Wales, now Westpac
165 Moorabool Street, GEELONG VIC 3220 - Property No 216376
Geelong Commercial Heritage Area
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Statement of Significance
C Listed - Local Significance
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The former Bank of New South Wales building, 165 Moorabool Street, Geelong, has significance as a reasonably intact example of an eclectic interwar Stripped Classical and Modern style. Built in 1937-38 to a design by Godfrey and Spowers in association with Buchan, Laird and Buchan, the exterior of the building been altered about the ground floor facades. Situated on a prominent corner location, the building has visual connection with neighbouring interwar and Victorian commercial buildings. The former Bank of New South Wales building, 165 Moorabool Street, Geelong, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an eclectic interwar Stripped Classical and Modern style. These qualities include the two regularly arranged upper brick floors and a substantial ground floor faced in Stawell freestone, together with a recessed chamfered corner. Other intact qualities include the prominent and yet highly austere brick parapets with concrete cappings, timber flag pole, large and austere brick band separating the second and third floors, regularly spaced first and second floor window bays with vertically oriented brick piers between, steel framed first and second floor windows, large steel framed first and second floor corner windows with stone piers and sidelights, ground floor piers in the corner entrance, singular door openings at the extremities of the ground floor north and west facades, ground floor doorway (but not door), and the Dromana granite base walls on the ground floor.
The former bank also has a notable townscape relationship with three other commercial buildings forming the intersection of the two principal Geelong thoroughfares of Moorabool and Ryrie Streets. The building complements the architecture of the structures visually connected to it, notably the former T & G Building (1934), former Mercantile Bank (1888) and Belcher's Corner building (1926).
The former Bank of New South Wales building, 165 Moorabool Street, Geelong, is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It has associations with the further development of banking in Geelong in the early 20th century. Built in 1938, the building has associations with the Bank of New South Wales (later Westpac) until 1999. It has further associations with the architects, Godfrey and Spowers and Buchan Laird and Buchan.
Overall, the former Bank of New South Wales building, 165 Moorabool Street, is of LOCAL significance.
REFERENCE
A. Willingham, 'The Former Bank of New South Wales: A Summary Cultural History Assessment of Cultural Heritage Significance and Comment on the Merits of Proposed Alterations to the Existing External Ground Level Fabric', prepared for Toronton Pty Ltd, October, 1999.
J. Ashton & T. Orantes, 'Bank of New South Wales, Geelong: Conservation Analysis Report', School of Architecture & Building, Deakin University, 1991. Ashton & Orantes cited the following sources:
R.F. Holder, Bank of New South Wales: A History, 2 vols. 1970.
James Dedman, oral evidence, 10 August, 1991.
'Ninety Years of Architecture: A History 1890 - 1980', Buchan Laird and Buchan
Buchan Laird and Buchan Account Books 1964-1970. Buchan Laird and Buchan Contract Books 1937-1968.
E. Laird, "Centenary Magazine", article. 'Property and Building Review, in the Geelong Advertiser, January 1937-December, 1938.
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Bank of New South Wales, now Westpac - Physical Description 1
DESCRIPTION
The site at 165 Moorabool Street, Geelong, is dominated by the Bank of New South Wales building, which forms an important landmark at this central, major intersection of Moorabool and Ryrie Streets. This building has visual connections with other significant corner buildings, notably the former T & G Building (1934), former Belcher's Corner building (1926), and the former Mercantile Bank building (1888).
The symmetrical-like, three storey, unpainted brick, Stawell freestone and reinforced concrete, eclectic interwar Stripped Classical and Modern styled former Bank of New South Wales building is characterised by two regularly arranged upper brick floors and a substantial ground floor faced in stone, together with a recessed chamfered corner. Prominent and yet highly austere brick parapets with concrete cappings and a timber flag pole at the corner surmount the building. A similarly large and austere brick band separates the second and third floors. These floors have regularly spaced window bays with vertically oriented brick piers between. The windows are early, having steel frames. The corner windows are larger, with sidelights formed by stone piers that interrupted the window bays.
These piers also punctuate the main entrance on the the ground floor. Early singular door openings are located at the extremities of the ground floor north and west facades. The ground floor has been altered, with enlarged window openings and introduced window frames. The main door has also been introduced and the cantilevered corner verandah (with inappropriately coloured signage) has been added.
An early feature of the ground floor facade is the Dromana granite base walls.
Heritage Study and Grading
Greater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study, Volumes 2-5
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1991
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City Urban Conservation Study Volume 1
Author: Graeme Butler
Year: 1993
Grading: CGreater Geelong - Geelong City 'C' Citations Study
Author: Dr David Rowe
Year: 2002
Grading:
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FORMER GEELONG WOOL EXCHANGEVictorian Heritage Register H0622
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FORMER SCOTTISH CHIEFS HOTELVictorian Heritage Register H0662
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GEELONG TOWN HALLVictorian Heritage Register H0184
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