Denison Miller

Denison Miller
Nationality	Australian

Sir Denison Samuel King Miller KCMG, (8 March 1860 – 6 June 1923) was the first governor of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Miller was born at Fairy Meadow, near Wollongong, New South Wales, the son of Samuel King Miller, head teacher of the Deniliquin public school and his wife Sarah Isabella, née Jones. He completed his education there.

At 16 years of age, Miller entered the service of the Bank of New South Wales at Deniliquin (1876), and six years later was transferred at his own request to the head office at Sydney. Showing great attention to his work Miller became an accountant in 1896, and four years later, assistant to the general manager. In 1909 he was appointed metropolitan inspector.

In 1911 the federal Labour party decided to bring in a bill to establish a national bank. Miller was summoned to Melbourne (then federal capital) to see the prime minister, Andrew Fisher. The bill was discussed and Miller was asked to become the first governor on a salary of £4000 a year; significantly more than the salary of the prime minister. The appointment was somewhat surprising, Miller relatively unknown, but inquiries must have been made which satisfied Fisher that Miller was a man with the knowledge, courage and caution, required for the office. His appointment was dated 1 June 1912, and in July the bank's business was started in a small room in Collins Street, Melbourne, the staff consisting of Miller, and a messenger lent by the department of the treasury. The sole capital was £10,000 advanced by the government. The first step was the establishment of a savings bank department, which was followed by the opening of the general banking department on 20 January 1913. On the opening day over £2,000,000 was received in deposits, the greater part being Commonwealth government accounts.

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