National Bank of Australasia - Banknotes
The National Bank of Australasia was formed by a group of businessmen headed by Alexander Gibb on 27th October, 1857 with objectives to financially assist merchants, traders, manufacturers, settlers, agriculturists and miners, as well as any other of the industrial classes.
The bank opened in Melbourne in 1858 with a Head Office originally located in Queen Street but moving to Collins Street in 1859.
The design on the bank's note issues varied between colonies. In the 1870's, Victorian notes showed the head and shoulders of a contemporary female holding a lamb in an ornate cameo. On the South Australian note, the girl appears in a coy pose with grapes in her hair and a sheaf of wheat on her shoulder. Western Australian notes show a more buxom female resting her arms on the head of an axe. The Victorian girl lost her lamb on later designs but gained a head-dress of wheat.
The Bank suspended trading on 1st May, 1893 during the financial crisis. After a reorganisation, it re-opened eight weeks later on 26th June as the National Australia Banking Group Limited. The bank merged with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited in 1982 to form an integral part of the National Australia Banking Group Limited.
In 1911, the bank was one of 16 banks who supplied blank note forms to the Australian Government. These notes were superscribed as redeemable in gold and issued as the first Commonwealth notes.
National Bank of Australasia - 1888 to 1909
1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds notes were produced.
1 pound 1909 Superscribed
5 pounds 1903
100 pounds 1895
National Bank of Australasia - 1887
1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds notes were produced.
National Bank of Australasia - 1881 to 1883
1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds notes were produced.
National Bank of Australasia - 1862 to 1880
1, 5, 10, 20, 50 pounds notes were produced.
National Bank of Australasia - 1859
1, 5, 10, 20, 50 pounds notes were produced.
National Bank of Australasia - 1858
Only a 1 pound note was made that year.
