Banks/national16high.html
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National Bank
National Bank, 1887, 16 High St, built (not designed) by Richard Rennie. As he arrived in WA from Victoria in 1896, the present building is from after that date.
Served as Notre Dame's Head of Campus Office and Learning and Teaching Office - among other uses.
In 2021-22, the Museum of Perth was allowed by NDU to use the building for the streetsoffreo project.
Heritage Council:
In 1887 rate books show the National Bank of Australasia on this location. The building continued in use as a bank until the late 1930s when it was occupied by the Four Square Gospel Mission.
From the 1940s it was a residence before becoming Importers/Exporters and APT Shipping Co. from 1950s.
Currently (2002), Notre Dame University, International Centre.
The place is historically significant as a former bank representing the development of Fremantle’s Old Port City as a centre of commerce and trade from the gold boom period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The place is significant because, when viewed from the street, it is a substantially intact example of a federation period commercial building which contributes to the very significant Old Port City of Fremantle. The place is of social significance as evidenced by its classification by the National Trust.
Two storey rendered building with ashlar effect to the ground floor and bracketed cornice below the decorative stucco pediment. The central stucco and keystone arched entrance with double doors and a fan light is flanked by two prominent pilasters. There are timber casement windows to the ground floor and timber sash windows to the first floor with stucco architraves.
The excerpt from a 2001 Notre Dame University guide below states that the building is the property of the Catholic Education Office. It is still (2021) shown as a university building on the current map on the university's website, but its purpose is not designated. It's been loaned for their use to Reece Harley's Museum of Perth.
NDU:
International Centre ND19. This attractive Victorian building was built in 1897 for the National Bank of Australasia. Three years later, accommodation was added for the Manager. The National Bank then leased the building to a variety of shipping agents, architects and to the Commercial Bank of Australia. This pattern of leasing and reoccupation by the bank continued until the premises were sold in 1952. In the latter part of 1937, The Four Square Gospel Mission moved in and ran the establishment as its Temple for the next two years. The building was used by a shipping agency and import merchants until 1972. It was purchased by Leeuwin Estate and turned into a residence until the Catholic Education Office purchased it in the 1980s. It has been leased by the University since 1997 and used as the College of Theology, The College of Education and now as the International Centre. (2001 NDU printed tour guide)
The National Hotel, on the corner of High and Market Sts, was named for the National Bank which used to be on that site. There was a shop there in 1868, and it became a bank in the late 1870s or 1880, until it moved to part of Lot 30, now 16 High St, 1886, when the Hotel opened.
References and Links
as above
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 30 August, 2015 and hosted at freotopia.org/banks/national16high.html (it was last updated on 10 November, 2023). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.