Bank of New South Wales premises and attached residence (former)

The delightful former Bank of New South Wales building was constructed in 1912 for the Royal Bank of Queensland branch in Helidon. It is private property and not publically accessible. The Royal Bank of Queensland was first established in 1885, when local investors had difficulty obtaining loans from sources outside of Queensland. By 1889, the bank had 20 agencies and branches, including locations such as London and Edinburgh. The first Helidon branch was a receiving office of its Gatton Branch which established on this site in 1906. This office was upgraded to a full branch in 1910 when the Australian Joint Stock Bank – a rival bank - was set to open an office directly across the street. Ipswich architect Henry Wyman called for tenders to construct the bank premises in June 1911 and the Royal Bank opened in June 1912. The construction incorporated part of the original building. The Helidon branch was purchased by the Australian Bank of Commerce in 1921, falling into the hands of its original competitor. In 1932, it became the Bank of New South Wales and traded under this name until 1970. The place has been in private ownership since 1971.