page_title: Queensland National Bank, Ipswich
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Queensland National Bank, Ipswich / History
caption_attribution_description: English: National Bank of Australasia, 89 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, 1951, formerly Queensland National Bank
context_page_description: The Queensland National Bank is a heritage-listed former bank building at 89 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1877 to 1935. It is also known as National Bank of Australasia and Bank of Queensland. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
context_section_description: The Queensland National Bank building is a single storey rendered brick building originally constructed as an office in 1877. The original architect and builder are not known.
  The first building on the site was George Thorn's Queen's Arms Hotel, built in 1843. This was demolished probably c. 1875 and the land sold as separate allotments. The corner site was bought by surveyor and real estate agent Enoch Bostock who constructed an office which opened for business on 1 January 1878. A three-stall stables was built behind the office and blacksmith William Hayne operated from there, using an entry in East Street.
  In 1881, the building was bought by the Queensland National Bank which had opened its first Ipswich branch in 1873 in rented premises. After buying Bostock's building, the bank continued to operate from its old premises until the lease ran out. Builder Peter Brown was employed to renovate Bostock's former office in October 1882 and the bank moved there in 1883.
  At this time, the bank was a simple rendered building with a central arched doorway and an arched window on either side, all with decorative pilasters and semi-circular heads with keystones. Bank records show that "general improvements" were made in 1935; this is believed to have been when the pediment was built above the entry and the windows and doors were changed.
  In 1948, the Queensland National Bank was absorbed by the National Bank of Australasia Ltd which also had an Ipswich branch nearby in Brisbane St. The two branches remained in operation until 1973 when the former Queensland National Bank building was sold to solicitors Somers and Walker who used it as an office then leased it to the Bank of Queensland in 1981. A modern single storey extension was made along the East Street frontage in the late 1970s, consisting of four individual tenancies.
  Until 1981, the interior of the main building had been timber panelled and included a solid timber counter while the main entrance was a panelled timber door. These were all removed by the Bank of Queensland who also added steel frames for signs to the exterior.
  The bank was sold in 1987 and after again being leased as offices for Rose Jensen solicitors, became a stationery shop in 1997. It was placed for sale again the same year.
caption: National Bank of Australasia, 1951
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