Pittwater Life December 2020 Issue

Times Past
MAIN: The Bank of NSW, its
sandstone facade and the
JT Stapleton sign leaning
up against the new building
(circa early 1960s).
BELOW: 1930/early 1940 pic
of the real estate agency
with the first nursery next
door to the north. Taken
from the first floor of the
heritage listed building at
33 Avalon Parade (most
recently McGrath Real Estate).
Times Past
Avalon Beach
banking history
On 17 July 1934 the Daily
Telegraph reported
that: “Money order
and savings bank facilities
at Avalon Beach Post Office
will be established when the
summer season begins on 1
October.”
This announcement would
have coincided with the
opening of the general store
on the south-western corner
of Old Barrenjoey Road and
Avalon Parade. The store was
built and run by the husbandand-wife
team of Stan and
Grace Wickham who provided
an immense range of services,
including post and telegram
services.
Information received
from the Westpac Banking
Corporation (WBC) confirms
that an agency of the Bank
of New South Wales opened
in Avalon Beach in December
1948.
The Avalon Progress
Association seemed rather
pleased with itself when it was
reported in the Avalon News
in December 1951 that “…
through representation made
by this Association the local
Bank of NSW has opened daily
in lieu of twice weekly. This
has been of great convenience
to the business people.”
The ‘parent branch’ was
originally Mona Vale and later
changed to Newport Beach,
until 10 October 1955 when
Avalon Beach was converted to
a ‘full branch’.
A photograph taken on 28
August 1956 shows the view
east down Avalon Parade.
Besides showing the massive
amount of hail which covered
the entire northern peninsula
on that day, there is also an
under-awning sign which
clearly reads ‘Bank of New
South Wales’. Another photo
taken from across the road
shows the signwriting on the
left-hand window (probably in
the traditional gold lettering).
It appears to be 28 Avalon
Parade, occupied these days
by the patisserie ‘La Banette’.
How long the bank
remained on this site is
uncertain but it is clear that
by December 1960, a new
Bank of NSW building had
been erected on the northwestern
corner of Avalon
Parade and Old Barrenjoey
Road.
The fine sawn sandstone
façade was a welcome return
to the use of natural materials
which had been used for
footings for several of the
residences built in the 1920s.
Documents received from
the WBC archivist confirmed
that this building was erected
in September 1959, designed
by architect RS Hamilton and
constructed by Welch Bros Pty
Ltd.
A photo held in the Society’s
archives shows the building
surrounded by a network of
scaffolding in 1978 while it
was still the Bank of NSW. It
was then that white texture
bricks replaced the original
‘handsome’ sawn sandstone.
In October 1982 it changed
its name to Westpac Banking
Corporation following the
acquisition of the Commercial
Bank of Australia.
In October 2014, the bank
decided the building was
too big for their needs and
relocated to the original
newsagency site in Old
Barrenjoey Road.
Sam and Tasos Costi, who
had bought the building in
2002, totally reworked the
building in 2015, creating
several retail outlets as well as
offices on the first floor.
TIMES PAST is supplied by
local historian and President
of the Avalon Beach
Historical Society GEOFF
SEARL. Visit the Society’s
showroom in Bowling Green
Lane, Avalon Beach.
44 DECEMBER 2020
The Local Voice Since 1991