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Bank of New South Wales, Gympie

Bank of New South Wales Building, Gympie
Bank of New South Wales (former) (2011), Gympie.jpg
Bank of New South Wales Building, 2011
Location 242 Mary Street, Gympie, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates 26°11′20″S 152°39′31″E / 26.1888°S 152.6585°E / -26.1888; 152.6585Coordinates: 26°11′20″S 152°39′31″E / 26.1888°S 152.6585°E / -26.1888; 152.6585
Design period 1870s - 1890s (late 19th century)
Built 1890-1891
Architect Richard Gailey
Architectural style(s) Classicism
Official name: Bank of New South Wales (former)
Type state heritage (built)
Designated 15 April 2011
Reference no. 602775
Significant period 1890-1940
Significant components bank
Builders T. Kelly
Bank of New South Wales building, Gympie is located in Queensland
Bank of New South Wales building, Gympie
Location of Bank of New South Wales Building, Gympie in Queensland
Bank of New South Wales building, Gympie is located in Australia
Bank of New South Wales building, Gympie
Location of Bank of New South Wales Building, Gympie in Queensland

The Bank of New South Wales is a heritage-listed former bank at 242 Mary Street, Gympie, Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Richard Gailey and built from 1890 to 1891 by T. Kelly. It is also known as Widgee Shire Council Chambers, Coolooa Shire Council Chambers and Gympie Regional Council Chambers. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 15 April 2011.

The former Bank of New South Wales building located in upper Mary Street, Gympie was designed by Richard Gailey and built in 1890-91. This two storey neo-classical building was purpose-built as the Gympie branch of the Bank of New South Wales, which had been operating at the Gympie goldfield since March 1868. It comprised ground floor banking facilities, upper floor manager's residence and a basement.

Gympie (initially known as Nashville) was established after the discovery of gold in the Mary River district in October 1867. The new goldfield turned Queensland into a significant gold producer, contributing much needed finances to the young colony. Thousands of people arrived at the Gympie goldfield in the months after the discovery and a fledgling settlement emerged. In a year the alluvial gold had been exhausted and shallow reef mining commenced.

As Gympie evolved from a hastily established mining settlement, the early makeshift structures of the 1860s gradually gave way to more permanent and substantial public and private buildings from the mid 1870s. With the change to deep reef mining from 1875, came the need for extensive capital investment through the formation of companies using foreign as well as local capital. During 1881, mines began yielding large amounts of gold, marking a new era of wealth and prosperity for Gympie as an intensive phase of underground reef mining began, facilitated by the injection of capital into mining companies for machinery and employees. The influx of money and the resultant yield of gold was reflected in the redevelopment of upper Mary Street during the 1880s and 1890s with substantial commercial buildings such as banks, company secretaries' and brokers' offices. One of these was the Bank of New South Bank building, which opened in 1891.


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