Sydney Art Deco Heritage

The Commonwealth Bank at 58 Spit Road in Spit Junction is another Art Deco gem built in 1935 by Messrs Hutcherson Bros of Stanmore Road, Petersham and supervised by the Department of the Interior, Works and Services Branch of NSW. It was completed in August 1935. During work in 1978 the exterior ‘cantilevered’ awning was extended across and above the main entrance of the branch. The branch closed in April 1998. Thankfully the awning was subsequently removed much to the benefit of the building. Facade detail The branch in 1977 Prior to general construction works the following year. The branch in 1978 The extended box awning across the front of the bank. Totally destroyed the nature of the building The branch in 1992 THe awning was still there in 1992. Currently (2022) the bulky awning is long gone and the building is now occupied by Signarama who have placed a *mini* awning over the front door. It still looks *tacked on* to the building because they have int...

Built in 1940 this double storeyed, cement rendered brick building in the familiar ‘Commonwealth Bank Art Deco’ style of the times, featured a ground floor banking chamber with a Manager’s residence on the first floor. An unusual feature of the design of the building, located at 838-840 Princes Highway in Tempe, was the three rounded external walls with glass brick windows and the flat roofs, one leading to a roof garden. This style of architecture evolved in the Architectural Branch of the Commonwealth Department of the Interior who were the main architects the Bank used for its building construction up the late 1950s. In December 1989 the bank sold the building but retained tenancy from 1990 for an initial 5 year period. In October 1996 the branch was closed. Main entrance detail The bank in 1940 New signage in 1992 Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archive Department

The Commonwealth Bank Earlwood was located at 212 Homer Street in Earlwood. This two storey brick and cement building (with a Manager’s Residence on the first floor) was constructed by H W Thompson Ltd of Alexandria at a cost of £3,730 and was completed in July 1934. It was described in the Canterbury Heritage Study (circa 1988) as "... a massive rendered masonry bank building. Austere façade in the Egyptian manner punctuated by a high entrance foyer flanked by massive columns bearing Egyptian capitals". In 1973 the Earlwood branch was moved to new premises at 352 Homer street and the old branch building closed. It was sold the same year to Brambles Brinks. It currently the home to Acropolis Funeral Services. Column capital detail Commonwealth Bank Earlwood in 1936 Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archive Department

The Commonwealth Bank Cronulla is on a site at 70 Cronulla Street in Cronulla that was previously a butcher shop. It was purchased by the Commonwealth Bank in December 1936. The butcher shop was demolished and an attractive, double storey branch building in the familiar Art Deco Commonwealth Bank style of the time was constructed by Hogden Bros of Enmore. Banking operations commenced from the new premises in July 1938. Main entrance facade Facade detail Cronulla takes its name from the Aboriginal word "Kurranulla", meaning "the place of pink shells" so it's argueable that this influenced the current colour scheme. Detail of window security bars A clock, with a calendar incorporated beneath the clock face, was installed above the branch entrance in January 1956. Major renovations in 1967 saw the removal of the clock. In 1989 the facade was refurbished to blend in sympathetically with the overall colour scheme and atmosphere of the Cronull...

This example of the interwar style Art Deco bank buildings built by the Commonwealth Bank is located in Croydon at 6 The Strand. According the the owner of the grocery shop next door the bank finished operations in the building over 10 years ago and the building is currently a video store. The Commonwealth Bank building boasts a nice Art Deco relief above the front door however the rest of the building has been painted unsympathetically to the style. Art Deco relief above front door Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archive Department

The building at 686 Botany Road (Cnr Gardiners Road) in Mascot was originally a Commercial Banking Company of Sydney branch. It is another example of a 1930s interwar period Art Deco suburban bank building. It is listed in the 1934 book "A Century of Banking - the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, 1834-1934". The CBC merged with the National Bank in 1981 to form the National Australia Bank. The building was sold in 1988 for $676000.00. It is now home to "Simplicity Funerals". Facade detail Sources: Botany Bay Heritage Listings CBC Bank Archives Sydney Morning Herald - 29/11/88 pp38

The Commonwealth Bank Gladesville was located at 219 Victoria Road in Gladesville. The original Government Savings Bank building was built by Alexander Simpson and Sons under the architectural supervision of Messrs Ross and Rowe in 1920. The GSB merged with the Commonwealth Bank in 1931 and operated from the existing GSB building. The bank sold the building in 1989 but continues to operate from the site. Facade detail The new facade of 1937 In 1937 extensive alterations were carried out by Hogden Bros which included this new facade. The 1992 awning addition An awning was added in the early 1990s to accommodate additional services which severely compromised the look of the Art Deco facade. Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archives Department

Since 1911 the Commonwealth Bank Town Hall site at 546 George Street in Sydney was a retail outlet for furnishing retailer Morley Johnsons. An additional two floors were added to the building around 1938 and Art Deco syled fluting added to the facade. When Morley Johnsons closed their doors they sold the building to the Commonwealth Bank in 1964. The Commonwealth Bank has maintained a branch there ever since. Facade detail Before (circa 1930s) and after the remodelling of the facade (circa 1960s) Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archives

This very handsome Art Deco bank building at 31 Hall Street in Bondi is, at the time of writing (2009) in the process of getting new tenants after the Commonwealth bank closed the branch. A comment from "bondi" says "The building is now (Aug 2012) a surf shop, SURFECTION. The facade has been changed somewhat, with the ground floor windows being widened to act as display windows. It's a relatively modest and sympathetic change, with the window frame divided where the building line used to be. The interior pays no heed to the original ceilings, but at least they remain intact. The job was supervised, I understand, by Sydney Heritage consultants Weir Philips." Main entrance View of the branch before it closed Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archives

The Commonwealth Bank Drummoyne branch was located at 204 Victoria Road in Drummoyne. In 1914, the Government Savings Bank engaged Mr W Schofield of Dalley Street, Sydney to demolish the old Fire Station that was originally on the site and to erect a new two storey brick building. The work was supervised by the Bank’s architects, Messrs H E Ross and Rowe. The Government Savings Bank merged with the Commonwealth Bank in December 1931 and in 1937 the branch interior was completely remodelled. The work was carried out by S J Campbell of Mortdale and was completed in October 1937. Banking operations were transferred to a new building in Drummoyne in March 1982 and the old branch was sold in July 1982 for $253,110.00. Facade detail The branch in 1937 Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archives

The Commonwealth Bank Leichardt branch was located at 6-8 Norton Street in Leichardt. Following the purchase of land in 1910 the GSB of NSW erected a double storey brick building with downstairs banking chamber and an upstairs Manager’s residence. The premises were erected by builders Messrs Schofield and Wilson under the supervision of prominent Sydney architects, Messrs H E Ross and Rowe. It was first occupied on 29 May 1911. In 1949 extensive renovations were carried out internally but no mention is made of the facade. I haven't been able to find out if the Art Deco facade had already been built and if the original building had been modified or rebuilt with the new facade. The photo below of the bank in the 1960s shows it with no awning. The later addition of the awning spoils the look of the building in my opinion. In February 2009 the Leichhardt branch was relocated to new refurbished premises at 18 Norton Street. The original building has been put up for lease (includi...

The Commonwealth Bank Paddington branch at 259 Oxford Street in Paddington is not the most interesting example of an interwar bank branch but it is still being used as the Paddington branch of the bank today. Paddington branch in 1958 Sources: Commonwealth Bank Archives department

The land at 79-81 Pacific Highway, Roseville, was purchased by the Commonwealth Bank in 1924 and it wasn't until 1938 that the new two storey building was constructed. A feature of this Commonwealth Bank branch was the curved corner entrance vestibule. Banking operations were transferred to the new premises on Tuesday, 17 January 1939. The former Commonwealth Bank bank and attached shops/dwellings in Roseville is an excellent representative example of the class of building constructed by the Commonwealth Bank during the 1930s. It was characterised by the exemplary and consistent application of the Art Deco style of architecture to its suburban branches which conveyed the image the Commonwealth Bank wanted to promote for itself at the time. They followed the lead of Tooth & Co who adopted the Art Deco style in their massive hotel building spree during the Interwar period in NSW. The Commonwealth Bank closed the Roseville branch in March 1998. Picture of the bank in 19...

The old Turramurra Commonwealth Bank is located at 1356 Pacific Highway in Turramurra. It was built by the Commonwealth Bank during the 1930's in the then popular Art Deco style. Banking institutions of the period commonly used a pool of architectural firms to design their premises and adopted popular and distinctive architectural styles to promote their operations and corporate image. The Art Deco monumental style suited the image the Bank wanted to promote at the time and they have left a great legacy with many excellent buildings still extant. With the advent of modern banking the Commonwealth Bank closed many of its suburban branches. When the Turramurra branch was closed it was acquired by Gillian Adams in 1994. She converted it into a beauty salon and spa which is still operating today in Turramurra. Front door detail Sources: Commonwealth historical archives