HERITAGE NOOSA
HERITAGE NOOSA
ANZ Bank Tewantin
ABOUT THIS ITEM
Alternative NameEnglish Scottish & Australian Bank LimitedES&A BankAdditional InformationThe former ANZ Bank building, constructed in 1970, replaced an earlier timber English, Scottish and Australian Bank (ES&A) building. Designed by recognised modernist architect Stuart McIntosh the building features an unusual cantilever awning that resembles precast concrete bridge girders. It is a rare example of a Brutalist style building in Noosa Shire. The Brutalist style is characterised by strong shapes and diagonal, sloping or curved elements and built form, such as in the awning of the building in Poinciana Avenue. As in this building materials were often precast concrete, often unpainted, with large expanses of unbroken wall surface such as the textured brick side walls(1).
Born in Adelaide and educated in Corowa, NSW, John Stuart McIntosh’s career was put on hold during WWII while he served in Papua New Guinea and Borneo in the 2/6 Field Regiment. In 1947 he began architecture studies at the University of Melbourne, during which he developed a design philosophy owing much to the teaching of Robin Boyd. On graduating in 1953, he trained with architects Yuncken Freeman Bros, Griffiths & Simpson, then joined the staff of the Architecture Department of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank in Melbourne. He brought a fresh and progressive image to the bank’s buildings around Australia from 1953 onwards as its architect-in-charge.(2)
His designs were a remarkable series of sculptural forms which derived from experiments with surrealist design techniques. Notable ES&A branches were at Ringwood, Vic. (1953-4), Taree, NSW (1955) ,Wingham, NSW (1956), Broken Hill, NSW (1956), Darwin, NT (1957), Sunshine, Vic. (1957), Traralgon, Vic. (1957), Parkdale, Vic. (1958) and Moe, Vic. (1963). Two of the last he designed, Malvern, Vic. (1959) and Canberra, ACT (1959-63) are regarded as his finest and have been recognised for their heritage value. Both use deep, closely-spaced cantilevered horizontal planes which appear to float across the facades to achieve a bold abstract sculptural effect. The Canberra building received the 1996 RAIA (ACT) 25-Year Award for enduring architecture.(3)
The ES&A Bank established a strong presence in the region with agencies and branches in Pomona, Kin Kin, Cooroy and Tewantin and Cooran from the early 1900s. The first branch buildings were typical of timber and tin Queensland regional commercial buildings with attached, or adjacent, houses for the Bank Manager and their families. The former ca1916 timber Kin Kin Bank with its unusual, attached residence is still in use as a shop in Main Street. Cooroy’s ca1918 timber building burnt to the ground in 1926 and was replaced with a facebrick building designed by the Brisbane architect G.H.M. Addison and Son (The Brisbane Courier 1926), now two shops at the corner of Maple and Emerald Street. The timber Pomona Bank was replaced in 1935 with a substantial two-storey rendered brick building in inter-war Mediterranean style incorporating the Managers residence into the upper floor. Located on the corner of Memorial Avenue and Reserve Street it also remains in use as a commercial building.
(1)Apperly, R. Irving. R. & Reynolds, P. ‘A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture’ Angus and Robertson Publishers, Sydney, 1989.
(2)Stuart McIntosh by Ken Charlton AM LFRAIA June 2017 https://www.architecture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/mcintosh-stuart.pdf
(3)ANZ Bank (Former ES&A Bank), citation in RAIA (ACT) Register of Significant 20th Century Architecture, 2002
Stuart McIntosh Collection, Fryer Library, University of Queensland.
AddressPoinciana Avenue,Tewantin
Born in Adelaide and educated in Corowa, NSW, John Stuart McIntosh’s career was put on hold during WWII while he served in Papua New Guinea and Borneo in the 2/6 Field Regiment. In 1947 he began architecture studies at the University of Melbourne, during which he developed a design philosophy owing much to the teaching of Robin Boyd. On graduating in 1953, he trained with architects Yuncken Freeman Bros, Griffiths & Simpson, then joined the staff of the Architecture Department of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank in Melbourne. He brought a fresh and progressive image to the bank’s buildings around Australia from 1953 onwards as its architect-in-charge.(2)
His designs were a remarkable series of sculptural forms which derived from experiments with surrealist design techniques. Notable ES&A branches were at Ringwood, Vic. (1953-4), Taree, NSW (1955) ,Wingham, NSW (1956), Broken Hill, NSW (1956), Darwin, NT (1957), Sunshine, Vic. (1957), Traralgon, Vic. (1957), Parkdale, Vic. (1958) and Moe, Vic. (1963). Two of the last he designed, Malvern, Vic. (1959) and Canberra, ACT (1959-63) are regarded as his finest and have been recognised for their heritage value. Both use deep, closely-spaced cantilevered horizontal planes which appear to float across the facades to achieve a bold abstract sculptural effect. The Canberra building received the 1996 RAIA (ACT) 25-Year Award for enduring architecture.(3)
The ES&A Bank established a strong presence in the region with agencies and branches in Pomona, Kin Kin, Cooroy and Tewantin and Cooran from the early 1900s. The first branch buildings were typical of timber and tin Queensland regional commercial buildings with attached, or adjacent, houses for the Bank Manager and their families. The former ca1916 timber Kin Kin Bank with its unusual, attached residence is still in use as a shop in Main Street. Cooroy’s ca1918 timber building burnt to the ground in 1926 and was replaced with a facebrick building designed by the Brisbane architect G.H.M. Addison and Son (The Brisbane Courier 1926), now two shops at the corner of Maple and Emerald Street. The timber Pomona Bank was replaced in 1935 with a substantial two-storey rendered brick building in inter-war Mediterranean style incorporating the Managers residence into the upper floor. Located on the corner of Memorial Avenue and Reserve Street it also remains in use as a commercial building.
(1)Apperly, R. Irving. R. & Reynolds, P. ‘A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture’ Angus and Robertson Publishers, Sydney, 1989.
(2)Stuart McIntosh by Ken Charlton AM LFRAIA June 2017 https://www.architecture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/mcintosh-stuart.pdf
(3)ANZ Bank (Former ES&A Bank), citation in RAIA (ACT) Register of Significant 20th Century Architecture, 2002
Stuart McIntosh Collection, Fryer Library, University of Queensland.
AddressPoinciana Avenue,Tewantin
Photograph
ANZ Bank Tewantin. Heritage Noosa, accessed 28/03/2025, https://heritage.noosa.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/20056
