Former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, STAWELL

The former State Savings Bank, 60 Main Street, Stawell, makes a significant contribution to the architectural and visual amenity of the predominantly 19th and early 20th century commercial streetscape. The form and rear sections of the building also contribute to the architectural amenity of the area. The building has significance as an important legacy of the financial institutions established in the town in the 19th century prior to the world-wide financial collapse of the early 1890s. In particular, this building was constructed in 1888 for the State Savings Bank to a design by the Melbourne-based architects, Inskip and Robertson. The building is in good condition and is largely intact from the exterior.

The former State Savings Bank is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a restrained Late Victorian Boom Classical style. These qualities include the simple rectangular form and the two-bayed composition, the narrower bay forming a side ground floor entrance. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the asymmetrical composition, two storey height, rendered brick wall construction, segmentally arched and round arched ground floor and first floor window drip moulds punctuated by keystones, stylised window pilasters, timber framed double hung windows, smoothly rusticated ground floor pilasters with stylised capitals and decorative festoons, plain pilaster pedestals, projecting smoothly finished plinth, projecting moulded cornices, plain entablatures, widely projecting stringcourse, panelled and fluted first floor pilasters with stylised Ionic capitals having cartouches and festoons, and the crowning parapet (with the narrow bay having a solid panelled parapet and the wider bay having a balustraded parapet). There are also rear intact or appropriate design qualities that contribute to the significance of the place and include: hipped roof form clad in slate, broadly projecting eaves with exposed timber rafters, curved parapets that terminate near the main facade, side and rear face red brick wall construction, face red brick chimneys, timber framed double hung windows, and the first floor timber verandah columns and valance. The rear single storey hipped roof wing of identical construction as the main building also contributes to the significance of the place. 

The former State Savings Bank is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of the State Savings Bank from 1888, and with the 19th century Stawell and Melbourne-based architects, Inskip and Robertson.

The former State Savings Bank is socially significant at a LOCAL level. Although no longer serving as a bank, it is recognised and valued by the Stawell community for its former purpose. 

Overall, the former State Savings Bank is of LOCAL significance.