ANZ Bank/Black Pepper Clothing – Panania, NSW
With all the outrage and media attention directed toward the impending closure (or just closure, if you’re reading this in the future) of Panania’s Commonwealth Bank branch, anyone would think the community had never lost a bank before.
Just take a look directly across the road from the soon-to-be-blog-worthy Commonwealth: another ex-ANZ. You’ll note the distinctive striped shopfront design that has proven nearly impossible to remove in past instances, and the residue of the extra-strength glue they used to bolt their fitful branding above the awning. Hell, even the ugly tilework has remained (much to the detriment of current tenants Black Pepper). In fact, essentially the only thing that hasn’t stuck around are the customers. Are you listening, Commonwealth?
And if the A Current Affair story on the Panania Whichbank doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, don’t forget: every time a bank branch closes, a BSB number becomes an orphan. ;_;
Commonwealth Bank/Beverly Chinese Restaurant – Beverly Hills, NSW
In an incredibly novel move, the old Commonwealth Bank along King Georges Road at Beverly Hills was transformed into a Chinese restaurant by true visionaries. They noticed B-Hills’ dearth of Chinese restaurants and were brave enough to step up and take a chance on something radical. Has it paid off? Well, they’re still standing today where so many other Beverly Hills restaurants have fallen by the wayside, so I’d say that’s a big yes.
As for the Commonwealth, there first existed a dark age between the branch’s closure and the 2005 installation of a Commonwealth ATM further up the road during which ‘Which Bank?’ became more of a valid question than a slogan. The ATM has since been removed. I’d like to imagine that the proprietors of the Beverly Chinese went to this specific Commonwealth branch in order to get their loan for the restaurant. Wouldn’t that be funny? Don’t answer that.
Past/Lives of the Near Future 