The Former State Savings Bank of Victoria - Murray Street, Colac

            This bank building built in Colac's premier thoroughfare, Murray Street, used to be the State Savings Bank of Victoria.  

The State Savings Bank of Victoria has been built in the Classical Revival style which is derived from Italian palazzo design. The two storey building's ground floor is detailed in smooth rustication with voussoirs. The plain first floor is enlivened by aedicules using prominent pillar detailing and triangular pediments.

The State Savings Bank of Victoria has long since ceased operation, however the building is still used as a bank in Twenty-First Century Colac.  Today it serves as the town's branch of the Rabobank. 

The State Savings Bank of Victoria was established in 1842 and existed until 1990.  A government controlled savings bank had been founded on 1 January 1842 as the Savings Bank of Port Philip. The independent Savings Banks developed over time from this original banking establishment and this development was recognised formerly in 1912.  The bank was established as the State Savings Bank of Victoria. In 1980 its name was changed to the State Bank until its eventual sale and subsequent dissolution in 1990 when it was taken over by the Commonwealth Bank. 

Located approximately 150 kilometres to the south-west of Melbourne, past Geelong is the small Western District city of Colac.  The area was originally settled by Europeans in 1837 by pastoralist Hugh Murray.  A small community sprung up on the southern shore of a large lake amid the volcanic plains.  The community was proclaimed a town, Lake Colac, in 1848, named after the lake upon which it perches.  The post office opened in 1848 as Lake Colac and was renamed Colac in 1854 when the city changed its name.  The township grew over the years, its wealth generated by the booming grazing industries of the large estates of the Western District and the dairy industry that accompanied it.  Colac has a long high street shopping precinct, several churches, botanic gardens, a Masonic hall and a smattering of large properties within its boundaries, showing the conspicuous wealth of the city.  Today Colac is still a commercial centre for the agricultural district that surrounds it with a population of around 10,000 people.  Although not strictly a tourist town, Colac has many beautiful surviving historical buildings or interest, tree lined streets.  Colac is known as “the Gateway to the Otways” (a reference to the Otway Ranges and surrounding forest area that is located just to the south of the town).

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Colac (show map)

Taken on: April 22, 2014

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Sets appears in: • Colac the Gateway to the Otways • The Former State Savings Bank of Victoria

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/9.0, 1/200 sec, 8.3mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	8.3mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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