Perc Tucker Regional Gallery

This well-known gallery in Townsville began life as the single storey Union Bank, constructed between 1884 and 1886. The bank opened in June 1886 and was described as one of the most substantial banking premises in the city at the time. It was designed by FDG Stanley, who as colonial architect from 1873 to 1881 designed many Townsville buildings, before entering private practice. The contractor for the Union Bank was Thomas Matthews of Ipswich. In 1935 a second storey was added to the building to accommodate an additional commercial space for Samuel Allen and Sons who occupied the adjoining building in Denham Street. In 1951, the Union Bank amalgamated with the Bank of Australasia to form the Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Corporation. Both banks faced each other diagonally across the intersection of Denham and Flinders Street. The former Union Bank building was retained from 1955 as an ANZ Bank, operating until 1981. The building was then purchased by Townsville City Council to serve as a regional art gallery and named in honour of a former mayor Perc Tucker. The gallery is home to the city’s art collection and is a venue for visiting exhibitions.