Royal Bank (former)

This grand building on Kent Street was built as the Royal Bank of Queensland, and opened in May 1889. The Baroque revival style façade comprises three bays divided by round pilasters on square plinths and is topped with Corinthian capitals. The building was designed by Brisbane-based architect Victor Carandini. The Royal Bank building incorporated banking chambers on the ground floor and manager’s accommodation on the first floor. Victor Carandini arrived in Maryborough on 1 June 1888 to finalise the contract, and take the opportunity of promoting his services to the region. In 1888, he designed shops and the town hall in Bundaberg and soon produced designs for Maryborough’s Post Office Hotel and extensions to the Boys Grammar School. The Royal Bank merged with the Bank of North Queensland in 1917, forming the Bank of Queensland. This later merged with the National Bank of Australasia in 1921 and became part of the National Bank of Australasia in the late 1940s. Ongoing banking mergers and rationalisations led to the sale of this building in 1973. Since that time it has served a number of uses including a restaurant, residence, pathology laboratory, a college and a dental practice.