History Notes - banks in Barraba
History Notes
This week we hosted two small busloads of seniors from Tamworth for morning tea. Our group set up a group of tables and umbrellas and produced lots of delicious treats which our visitors thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to all those who assisted with the event.
We still have not heard any results from last week's query re Troth/Groth families although I have found that someone on the coast is trying to help this family as well! We are also hoping to hear some more about the Central Hotel and Adele Croaker who married Mr. Wackett possibly in 1953.
A number of Barraba residents are aware of the centenary of the Town Clock this year. Somewhere there is a cutting taken from a Barraba newspaper dated in 1924 - this article will show just who constructed the clock and when it was finished. There is a story that it was ready for Anzac Day 1924 but the postcard that turned up points to the fact that it was Remembrance Day in November 1924. This matter needs to be cleared up before April.
I have been asked about the history of Barraba's Banks. The Commonwealth Bank began in Barraba early in the 20th century and it was housed in a shop in the main street just south of the Central Hotel- I think it was the one used as a doctor's surgery for many years. I have childhood memories of visiting the bank with my 'pass book' and money box to empty the contents into my account.
Eventually the bank built a bank building on the vacant block that had been the Royal Hotel and conducted its business there for a number of years. Pass books became cheques and later with communication progress the bank decided to leave Barraba - perhaps someone can remember the bunch of flowers placed on the doorstep by one of our citizens!
The building remained empty for a time before Australia Post decided to leave their relatively new building diagonally across the road and set up in the empty Commonwealth Bank building. This was a major operation as the private mail boxes had to be moved as well as some of the fittings.
The Bank of NSW arrived in Barraba circa 1902 and set up in a house near the Pre School - possibly now part of the Pre-School. This turned out to be a temporary site as the bank built a new two-storey bank building on the corner of Queen and Maude Streets. The ground floor was the banking chamber while the second floor was the manager's residence -this plan worked well so long as the family were fit arid able to climb the stairs!!
Once again progress caused changes and then it was said that the brick building was cracking!! The building was demolished and a new "functional box" was built together with a manager’s home in Maude Street. Tim Shellshear, who conducted a study of Barraba's main street buildings in the 1990's was disgusted with both the new bank buildings.
The oldest bank to do business in Barraba and the last to leave has a long history so I shall leave that until after the show.