Commonwealth Trading Bank Building

Coat of arms above the entrance

The Commonwealth Trading Bank Building, also known as the Commonwealth Bank Building, is an historically significant building in Sydney, Australia, located on the corner of Pitt Street and Martin Place. It is the headquarters of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which for a significant part of the 20th century functioned as Australia's central bank.

History

The Commonwealth Bank was created in 1911 under order of Prime Minister Andrew Fisher. Its head office was designed by architect John Kirkpatrick, who was the cousin of the bank's governor. In August 1916, the building opened. The building was expanded with extensions designed by E.H. Henderson and F. Hill between 1929 and 1933, and in 1966 construction was begun on an annex, completed in 1967.

From 2012 the building was extensively refurbished. The 1960s extension was rebuilt, while much of the 1916 building and 1930s extension was stripped out and refurbished.^[1][2][3]

Significance

It is recognised by the Australian government in the Australian Heritage Database as a national symbol, "the first and very substantial physical manifestation of the powers that the Commonwealth Government acquired in the area of banking after the federation of the Australian colonies."^[4] The building is also regarded as significant for its design, combining Grecian Doric, Art Deco and other influences.^[4]

The image of the building itself became familiar to many people across Australia during the 20th century through its use on money boxes issued by the Commonwealth Bank to children starting from 1922. The money boxes were rectangular shape, roughly reflecting the dimensions of the bank building, and printed with the building's exterior. As a result, it is referred to as the "money box building". (The State Savings Bank building at 48 Martin Place was also featured on some later money boxes, and is also sometimes called the "money box building").^[5]

References

1. "Martin Place 'money box' to be redeveloped", Sydney Morning Herald 5 August 2011
2. TSA Management - 120 Pitt Street
3. Beasy - 120 Pitt Street
4. "Commonwealth Trading Bank Building, 108-120 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW, Australia (entry AHD1837)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
5. "A telling tale of two tin moneyboxes", Sydney Morning Herald 26 September 2012

Coordinates: 33°52′4.46″S 151°12′31.87″E / 33.8679056°S 151.2088528°E