National Bank (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

04033 Bay View Terrace Commercial Heritage Precinct

Statement of Significance

Considerable Contribution: An example of a Federation Free Classical building that has undergone considerable change over time to accommodate viable functions in Claremont’s commerce centre. The place is unusual for the associations with the original owner W. R. Drabble who specified the building for a bank with manager’s residence on the top floor.

Physical Description

The double storey building occupies a corner with a truncation at the intersection. The brick walls are rendered. The balanced openings on the ground and first floor street fronts are all rectangular with rendered reveals. The walls continue to form a simple parapet with stucco balls on the truncated element. The parapet has a moulded corbel cornice line. The ground floor frontages have a concave Colorbond canopy supported by decorative metal wall brackets.

History

This was the site of a brick store and weatherboard house, recorded in the Rate Books in 1903-04. F. W. Koeppe established his store here by 1897. Koeppe's first store was on the corner of Leura Ave and Stirling Hwy in the 1880s. By 1905, grocer Roger Davis was here, followed by E. A. King who had taken over the store by 1908. The site became vacant when a fire destroyed the shop. In 1911, Walter Drabble built the present building to the specifications of the National Bank, on the land that he owned and which he leased to the Bank. The National Bank had opened an agency at 3 Bay View Terrace (later the Hotel bottle shop) on 7 February 1907 with a staff of two. The new Bank building comprised banking chambers and offices on the ground floor and manager’s quarters above, with a balcony to the Stirling Hwy frontage. In 1925 the National Bank purchased the site, and in 1929, renovated the building. Rooms were added to the upper floor quarters, the verandah removed, external walls rendered and the corner entrance remodelled. In 1980, the Bank moved out to a new building in St Quentin Ave. It renovated the building for use as retail premises, specifically an antique store at that time, with enlarged windows on the ground floor and a cantilevered awning. Part of the work included adding an upper floor and remodelling the No.56 infill building. In 1986, Fabric Nouveau (No. 58), Overdrive (No. 60), Claremont Dental Surgery, Bignell Real Estate and Ferrari Sport (No. 62) and Elan Fashion Salon (No. 64) were the tenants.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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