Directory

Local History Sites

Royal Bank of Queensland (1901)

Description

The building is National and Queensland Heritage listed.

Lowood's first private bank

In March 1889 a Royal Bank public notice in The Brisbane Courier stated: "A branch of this bank is now open at Lowood, Brisbane Valley Line, for transaction of usual banking business. (signed) Edward Griffith, General Manager." However within the year the branch closed.

About 1901 the Royal Bank opened in this building, which was then in Main Street (below right), about where the CWA Hall now stands. The site was leased from the Railways Department.

Merger means name change 

In January 1917 the Royal Bank merged with the Bank of North Queensland to form the Bank of Queensland, and the Lowood branch was re-branded. 

                           

Bank and strong room relocated

In July 1917 this building was moved from Main Street to its present site in Railway Street. The Queensland Times reported, "The removal of the building was a simple matter. The strong room, however, of brick and concrete and weighing between 38 and 40 tons was a more difficult problem.

"By the aid of 16 bullocks and a "forest devil," as well as several men, the vault was safely transferred to its new home without a crack, although several steel ropes and chains were broken." 

Another meger and a new name 

In 1922 the Bank of Queensland merged with the National Bank of Australasia to form the National Australia Bank, and this became the local NAB branch until the new branch opened in Main Street in 1986. 

The heritage-listed building is now a dental surgery.