Iconic former bank in Far North Qld for sale by EOI

News Corp Australia Network

Overlooks the Endeavour River

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The ultimate cyclone shelter has hit the market in Far North Queensland.

Purpose built in 1890-1891 for the Bank of North Queensland, the now disused building has been listed for sale, with expressions of interest closing at 5pm on May 15.

The architectural, two level reinforced concrete building is one of Cooktown’s more substantial buildings in the heart of the CBD, according to the listing by Andrew Rogato of Rogato Real Estate – Mareeba.

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The former Bank of North Queensland is for sale

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The Queensland Heritage Register notes that the building was erected as a bank and manager’s residence, and was built after the Bank of North Queensland was established in Townsville in July 1888.

It was one of seven branches established within six months, with the original Cooktown branch opening in September 1888.

“When the Cooktown branch was established in 1888, alluvial goldmining on the Palmer River gold fields was still paying high dividends, the Annam tinfields had just been opened, and the local bêche-de-mer industry was booming,” the register says.

“Such was local business confidence in the future of far North Queensland, that within two years the Bank of North Queensland had commissioned Townsville architects Eyre & Munro to design substantial new premises for the Cooktown branch.”

At the time of the building’s completion, the ground floor contained the banking chamber, manager’s room and strong room.

“Cyclone damage in 1907 destroyed large numbers of Cooktown buildings which were never rebuilt, and the Cooktown branch of the Bank of North Queensland finally closed in January 1908,” the heritage listing says.

“For some years it remained bank property, but was rented out as a residence – the Police Magistrate occupied the building in 1917.”

The Bank of North Queensland merged with the Royal Bank of Queensland to form the Bank of Queensland, and was taken over in 1922 by the National Bank of Australasia Ltd (NAB) which disposed of the Cooktown property in 1924.

It has been held by the Ferrari family since 1963 and was used as a residence until the 1970s, as a grocery store for some years and was closed in December 1992.

Photos shows that the Ferrari Estates 1808 marking at the front of the residence has been removed.

But the sales listing shows that many of it traditional features remain.

The ground floor has a decorated front terrace with ornamental steel gates and grand doors which open to a large open space featuring semi-polished Terrazzo flooring, storerooms and a kitchenette.

An ornate staircase leads up to the first level, which has three large bedrooms, one of which has its own ensuite and private louvred balcony.

The kitchen wing adjacent to the sprawling dining room both enjoy views over the town centre and views to the Endeavour River.

The traditional lounge room links the expansive hallway and makes the most of the cathedral high ceilings throughout the entire building.

A private and separate entrance to the side of the main entry with matching grand entry doors leads to a one-bedroom unit with access to the private courtyard at the rear of the building. Directly above this unit is another one bedroom unit with its own separate entry via an embellished staircase at ground level adjacent unit one entry.

It is not clear whether the banking chamber still exists.

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