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Former Bank Of New South Wales - Group Classification

Location 13-15 Lydiard Street North,, BALLARAT CENTRAL VIC 3350 - Property No B0286 File Number B0286 Level State

[1/1] B00286 Ballarat Bank of New

Statement of Significance

Bank of New South Wales was designed by architect Leonard Terry and built in 1862. The two storied structure is stuccoed with a bluestone plinth. The ground floor facade features smooth rustication to arch springing level with a smooth surface above, decorated with voussoirs and quoins. The smooth surfaced upper storey is decorated with segmental window hoods, string courses and quions and a balustraded parapet.
Bank of New South Wales forms part of a most distinctive and probably unique streetscape of banks, all by the same architect, Leonard Terry, and all in the Conservative Classical style. The New South Wales Bank is architecturally representative of its period and typical of Terry's works of the time. The architectural treatment of the lower storey and upper windows is of particular interest in contrast with 202 Sturt Street. The design of the details where No 9 abuts this building is of interest.
Bank Classified: 'Regional' `08/06/1967
Revised: 03/08/1998

Group Statement of Significance: All four buildings were erected in the 1860's to designs by Architect Leonard Terry, thus following on from his Melbourne Club design of 1858. As diocesan architect for the Church of England he designed many ecclesiastical buildings, but of his secular works, this group of four banks form a significant sample at a time when Ballarat was one of the largest and most important cities in Australia.
Their construction came at a time when Ballarat was establishing its permanent landmarks; and yet at that time a gold mine was still active on the south west corner of the same intersection, and on outdoor share market was being conducted on the south east corner.
The designs of the four buildings, although all classical revival in concept, are not particularly compatible. Their facades and scales differ and the skyline is disjointed. Nonetheless individually all of them have been considered worthy of Classification.
In keeping with architectural philosophies of the period, the rear and exposed side elevations do not continue the classical details of the street facdes, but, bacause of the corner situation, the effect of the group is one of three-dimensional cohesion of design. Bank of New South Wales is intact externally except for the addition of signs. The interior is not intact.
Classified as a Group: 21/10/1976 with B3112 former E S & A Bank, B0291 National Bank & B0293 A N Z Bank.