The former Bank of New South Wales, built on a prominent corner on Lawrence’s main street in 1929 and designed by prominent Dunedin architectural partnership Mason and Wales, has architectural and historical significance as a reminder of Lawrence’s prominence as the centre of the Tuapeka district, and its prosperity in the gold rush days of the nineteenth century.

Unsurprisingly, given the lure of gold, banks opened up their doors in Lawrence in the 1860s. The Union Bank of Australia, with R. Pryde as agent, opened in 1864. In 1865, the Bank of New South Wales opened its new buildings on the corner of Ross Place and Peel Street, while the Bank of New Zealand opened its premises further up Peel Street. In the early years, Peel Street was the business centre because of problems with flooding on Ross Place. Dunedin architectural partnership Mason and Clayton tendered for the erection of the new premises in April 1865.

The Bank of New South Wales was the first bank established in Australia, opening in Sydney in 1817. During the nineteenth century it opened branches throughout Australia and New Zealand. The bank expanded with the gold rushes, seeing the opportunity to set up gold buying agents in response to the needs of miners and merchants on the goldfields. In 1982 it merged with the Commercial Bank of Australia to form Westpac Banking Corporation.

By 1929, the old bank building was out of date. The Bank of New South Wales erected new premises, including a manager’s residence, on its existing site in 1929. Dunedin architectural partnership Mason and Wales designed the building, while O’Driscoll brothers were the contractors. The plans show the ground floor with its mix of public and private spaces. The entrance to the banking chamber was through the angled entrance on the corner of Peel Street and Ross Place. The banking chamber consisted of the public space with the counter and the teller’s office, the gold office, manager’s office, additional office space and strong room. There was also a kitchen, dining room and maid’s bedroom. Upstairs were a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and three bedrooms.

The former Bank of New South Wales occupies a prominent site on the corner of Ross Place and Peel Street. It is one of the few remaining commercial buildings that remind us that Peel Street was Lawrence’s first commercial centre. It is a wedge-shaped two-storey timber building, with a single storey portion to the rear. It has an angulated formal entrance on the narrow corner of the wedge with a small projecting gable and double timber doors. It is clad in weatherboard, with timber casement windows, with multi-paned top lights. The structure sits on piles with concrete foundation walls. The roof is corrugated iron. The windows have small decorative caps supported on corbels providing architectural detailing. Alterations were made to the banking chamber in 1970.

The Bank of New South Wales closed in the early 1970s. In 1971 the building was sold and converted for use as a private residence. In 2015, it remains a private home.