Former Oriental Bank, 171-173 Main Street, STAWELL

The former Oriental Bank building, 171-173 Main Street, Stawell, makes a significant contribution to the architectural and visual amenity of the predominantly 19th century building forms of the streetscape. The building has significance as an important legacy of the financial institutions established in the town in the 19th century as a result of the prosperity of the gold rush. In particular, this building was constructed in 1869 for the Union Bank of Australia to a design by the eminent Melbourne-based architect, Leonard Terry. The building is in good condition and is largely intact from the exterior.

The former Oriental Bank building, 171-173 Main Street, is architecturally significant at a LOCAL level. It demonstrates original design qualities of a Victorian Conservative Classical style. These qualities include the simple rectangular form having a three-bayed composition. Other intact or appropriate qualities include the asymmetry, two storey height, segmentally arched ground floor openings accentuated by narrow moulded architraves, ground floor doorway with three panelled double timber doors and dentillated transom, segmentally arched timber framed double hung ground floor windows, coursed granite panels below the ground floor windows, smoothly finished granite base, simple stringcourse with a plain projecting central section, first floor timber framed double hung windows adorned with moulded rendered frames and projecting flat-headed drip moulds, elaborate cast iron first floor window grills, and the moulded and widely projecting cornice.

The former Oriental Bank building, 171-173 Main Street, is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of the Oriental Bank from 1869, and later with the development of the Bank of Australasia and the ANZ Bank. The building also has associations with the eminent Melbourne-based architect, Leonard Terry. 

The former Oriental Bank building, 171-173 Main Street, 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 Oriental Bank building is of LOCAL significance.