Westpac Bank Building, Townsville

Westpac Bank Building is a heritage-listed bank building at 337-343 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hall and Cook and built in 1935 by Stuart Brothers (Sydney). It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 13 May 2004.HistoryAn imposing two-storeyed masonry building, the Westpac Bank was erected in 1935 as the Bank of New South Wales. This building was the third premises built by the bank in Townsville.The Bank of New South Wales, founded in 1817, was intimately associated with the early development of Townsville. Robert Towns, the co-founder of Townsville, was a director of the Bank of New South Wales. Not surprisingly, he was instrumental in encouraging the bank to establish a branch at Cleveland Bay. After some delays, the Bank of New South Wales opened a branch in rented premises on 20 March 1866. The Bank of NSW was the second in the settlement, after the Australian Joint Stock Bank which had opened a month earlier.The Bank purchased an allotment on the corner of the Strand and Wickham Street in 1867 and premises and a manager's residence were erected two years later. Anticipating the future growth of Townsville in Flinders Street East, the Bank purchased two allotments on the corner of Flinders and Wickham Streets in 1875. Two-storeyed premises were erected in 1887.