Commercial Bank of Australasia, formerly the customs house

The bank was built in 1877 for the National Bank of Australia and was designed by Daniel Garlick a prominent Adelaide architect. Built by local builders J Knowles and Thomas Smith who were specialists in building with calcrete, the building is a fine example of the use of this material.

Garlick's design includes rendered and moulded quoins with an arched doorway surmounted by a keystone and mouldings. The windows either side reflect this design. The entrance is topped with a classically ornamented parapet. The attached dwelling features a timber and galvanised iron roofed verandah. The fence at the front of the dwelling is a wooden rod and dowel construction.

It is doubtful if this building ever served as a customs house as Donovan (p.29) describes the Port Wakefield customs building as a three-roomed house built in 1857, and the customs officer also did duty as the harbourmaster and later station master.

The building was occupied by the National Bank until 1900 when it was sold to a grain merchant. Three years later the building was purchased by the Commercial Bank of Australia and subsequently by Westpac.

Donovan, P. F. Port Wakefield and district, a history: commemorating a century of local government [Port Wakefield, S. Aust.]: Port Wakefield District Council, 1978

Survey of the heritage of eight Lower North towns : Angaston, Auburn, Burra, Clare, Kapunda, Port Wakefield, Saddleworth, Tanunda prepared for the State Heritage Branch by Rob Linn, Jane Linn and Chris Lane of Historical Consultants and John Gratton and Alistair Tuttle of Hames Sharley Australia [Adelaide]: Dept. of Environment and Planning, 1990