A little while back, I expressed
my delight in being a luddite, and showed you the entrance to No.2 Martin Place, now occupied by Pasapaley Pearls. This building started life as the banking chamber for The Australasian Bank, which has now circuitously morphed into the ANZ Bank.
If, instead of nipping into the George Street entrance, one enters via the Martin Place entrance shown in my final photograph today, one discovers this most delightful old lift, on which a most discrete sign says: 'Heritage lift - please ensure you have a mobile'. The building was constructed during 1902 - 1904, and the lift is original.
This land, on the east side of George Street opposite the original Barracks Square, had been built upon from the early days of the colony. Originally the Bank of Australasia’s site was on two distinct titles. The two titles were converted to a single title at the beginning of 1904. The building was designed by Edward E Raht, an architect from New York (but born in Austria) who arrived in Australia in July 1891.
The street facades are constructed of "Bowral trachyte" from Mount Gibraltar microsyenite quarry in the southern highlands of NSW. The work was carried out by Loveridge and Hudson who were important masonry contractors with skilled banker masons as well as their own trachyte quarries. The two large basement levels extend 5 metres under Martin Place and are lit by deep wells on all three facades, with pavement lights.
I am indebted to the
NSW Office of Environment & Heritage for many of these details.