ANZ owned the premises of 34-36a Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross

History of ANZ

ANZ is one of the largest companies in Australia and New Zealand and a major international banking and financial services group, which is among the top 100 banks in the world.

ANZ world headquarters is located in Melbourne, where it first opened an office as the Bank of Australasia in the 1830s.

ANZ's impressive history stretches back over 150 years and involves dozens of different banks.

1835

• ANZ began in London when The Bank of Australasia was established under Royal charter.

1837

• The Union Bank of Australia was established. This was an Anglo-Australian bank.

1852

• The English, Scottish and Australian Bank was established in 1852. This was an Anglo Australian bank.

1951

• The Bank of Australasia merged with the Union Bank of Australia to form ANZ Bank.

1966

• ANZ Bank commenced operations in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

1968

• ANZ Bank established representative office in Tokyo, Japan.

1969

• ANZ Bank opened office in New York, USA.

1970

• In what was then the largest merger in Australian banking history, ANZ Bank merged with the English, Scottish and Australian Bank Limited to form the present organisation, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.
• Commenced operations in Vanuatu

1971

• Opened representative office in Malaysia.

1973

• ANZ Channel Islands operations established.

1976

• ANZ (PNG) established

1977

• ANZ incorporated in Australia (transfer from UK).

1979

• The Bank of Adelaide was acquired.

1980

• Singapore and New York representative offices upgraded to branch status.
• Representative office opened in Houston, Texas.

1984

• Grindlays Bank plc acquired. (Grindlays was a British International bank with a world-wide branch network, particularly in South Asia.)

1985

• Barclays operations in Fiji and Vanuatu acquired.
• Received full commercial banking licence and opened branch in Frankfurt, Germany.
• Announced ANZ Singapore Ltd.
• Opened representative office in Bangkok, Thailand.

1987

• Kathmandu, Nepal branch opened (50% share).
• Opened office in Milan.
• Fiji office upgraded to branch status.
• ANZ Finance Limited (UK) sold.

1988

• Opened branch in Rorotonga, Cook Islands.
• Opened branch office in Paris, France.
• Purchased remainder of Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp in Melanesia International Trust (now 100% ownership).

1989

• Acquired PostBank in New Zealand. PostBank was originally established in the 1860s as New Zealand's Post Office Savings Bank.
• Grindlays Bank plc name changed to ANZ Grindlays Bank plc.

1990

• National Mutual Royal Bank Limited acquired (National Mutual Royal Bank was established in 1986).
• Lloyds operation in PNG acquired.
• Bank of New Zealand operation in Fiji acquired.
• Town and Country WA Building Society acquired. The Perth-based Town and Country WA Building Society was established in 1964.
• Acquired 75% of the Bank of Western Samoa (25% from the Government of Western Samoa and 50% from Bank of New Zealand).

1991

• Bank of Western Samoa acquired (75%).
• Olec Trustees (Jersey) acquired.
• Opened representative office in Santiago, Chile.
• Opened representative office in the Phillipines

1992

• Houston agency and Chicago branch closed. Business activity managed from New York branch.
• African network of ANZ Grindlays plc sold to Standard Bank Investment Corp.

1993

• Indonesia subsidiary acquired (85%).
• ANZ opens a branch in Hanoi and a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• Banking licence granted in China. ANZ opens a branch in Shanghai and a representative office in Guangzhou, China.
• Sold Grindlays Canadian Business to Hong Kong Bank of Canada.
• Banking licence granted in China.
• Joint venture established with PT Panin Bank, Indonesia.
• Commenced operations in Tonga.

1994

• Los Angeles office closed

1995

• Bank of Western Samoa acquired (25%).
• ANZ opens a commercial banking branch in Manilla, Philippines, the first Australian and New Zealand bank to do so.
• ANZ centralises the bulk of its Australian retail telephone enquiries to its National Teleservicing Centre in Melbourne.
• ANZ Securities signed agreement with PT Panin Sekuritas to become first Australian broker to enter Indonesian market.

1996

• ANZ opens its second Vietnamese branch at Ho Chi Minh City and its 106th Asian branch.
• ANZ joins smart card joint venture with Mondex, CBA, NAB and Westpac.
• ANZ transfers the domicile of Grindlays Bank plc to Australia and changes its name to ANZ Grindlays Bank Limited.
• VISA Cash (stored value cards) launched on the Gold Coast.
• www.anz.com launched on 31 October.
• ANZ Securities signed agreement with PT Panin Sekuritas to become first Australian broker to enter Indonesian market.

1997

• ANZ Phone Banking launched.
• Mastercard launched in Bangladesh.
• ANZ re-opens its branch at Jerusalem, Israel in March and representative office in Tel Aviv in October.
• ANZ launches Supermarket banking on the Gold Coast at Tweed Heads.
• ANZ officially opens its Beijing branch, China.
• Donald Penn Mercer retires as ANZ's Chief Executive Officer on 30 September and is succeeded by John McFarlane.
• Opened branch in Shanghai and representative office in Guangzou.
• Bank of Western Samoa changed name to ANZ Bank (Samoa).

1998

• Acquired state in PT Panin Bank, Indonesia.
• Closed representative offices in South America.
• Delisted on UK stock exchange.

1999

• ANZ Internet Banking lauched on 12 April.
• ANZ announces a strategic alliance with E*Trade Australia to develop Australia's leading online share trading service.
• Telstra, ERG and ANZ announce agreement to form Smartcard joint venture.
• ANZ reaches agreement to acquire 100% of America Samoa Bank with acquisition expected to be complete in May 2000.
• ANZ and PT Panin Bank enter into technical services agreement.

2000

• On 27 April, ANZ announced the sale of its Grindlays businesses in the Middle East and South Asia, and associated Grindlays Private Banking business, to Standard Chartered PLC.
• ANZ announces US$8 million strategic investment in Hong Kong, online stock broker, BOOM.com.
• ANZ announces sales of Grindlays to Standard Chartered for US$1.3 (A$2.2) billion in cash.
• Granted Renminbi(RMB) licence from the People's Bank of China.
• Sold ANZ Bank(Guernsey) Limited to Bank of Butterfield.

2001

• ANZ Timor Leste opens.
• ANZ establishes cards business in Hong Kong.

Material on this page is intended only for general information and ANZ makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of this information. The material is not intended as substitute for your own research. We do, however, welcome your feedback and suggestions concerning any of the material.