Site 6 – Commercial Banking Company of Sydney (C.B.C. Bank)
The establishment of a bank in Burren Junction was a significant milestone in the development of the town. As farming, grazing and commerce expanded across the district, local residents needed access to banking services without travelling long distances to larger centres.
The first branch of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney opened in Burren Junction on 13 May 1910. Its first manager, W. F. Julian, wasted little time in establishing a presence in the growing township. He leased a small building from William Houlahan that had previously operated as a baker’s shop and quickly converted it into a bank.
According to local accounts, Mr Julian arrived in town, rented the building and erected a canvas sign announcing the arrival of the Commercial Bank. Soon afterwards, a representative from the Bank of New South Wales arrived to inspect the town as a possible location for a branch. Seeing that the Commercial Bank had already established itself, and apparently not impressed by what he saw, he returned on the train without proceeding any further.
Banking in those early days was very different from today. With no safe available, Mr Julian reportedly carried the bank’s cash and bullion in leather pouches concealed beneath his clothing. The story became well known around town and remains one of Burren Junction’s most colourful banking tales.
As the district continued to prosper, William Houlahan constructed a purpose-built bank building in Waterloo Street in 1911. The new premises included a brick strongroom, stable, buggy shed and feed room and represented a substantial investment in the future of the township. The bank moved into the new building on 13 November 1911 and remained an important part of community life for many decades.
In 1950 the Commercial Banking Company purchased the building outright after many years as a tenant. The bank continued to serve local residents, businesses and farming families before daily operations were reduced in 1976 and the branch was converted to an agency of the Wee Waa branch.
Following a series of banking mergers, the agency became part of the National Australia Bank in 1983. Although banking services gradually diminished, the building remains a reminder of a time when Burren Junction was a thriving commercial centre requiring its own full-time bank manager and branch office.
The history of the C.B.C. Bank reflects the confidence and optimism of the town’s early pioneers. At a time when many settlements struggled to attract services, Burren Junction secured a permanent banking presence that helped support the district’s growth for more than seventy years.
Historical information sourced primarily from Visions of the Plains – A History of Burren Junction and District (2nd Edition) by Judy Field, together with local records and community recollections.
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The former C.B.C. Bank building, which served Burren Junction and the surrounding district for more than seven decades.
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The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney building in Waterloo Street, opened in 1911.