Oral history interviews with five former Commonwealth Bank staff members who were employed at the Bank when it opened for business on 15 July 1912. The interviews were conducted by the Reserve Bank’s Assistant Archivist J.M. (Jack) Gornall to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bank’s opening in 1972. Digitised from original audio cassette recordings.

In the interviews Mrs F.A. Abercrombie (née Manton) reflects on her experience working with Denison Miller at the Commonwealth Bank.

Miss M.E.R. McCourt discusses the role of the Commonwealth Bank’s Secretary’s Department, her professional relationship with Mr Armytage, and provides a description of the filing system used at the time.

Miss G.A. Booth shares insights into her earlier employment at the Government Savings Bank of NSW and the transition of staff into the Commonwealth Bank. She discusses the supervision of female staff, changes in staff uniforms, including the introduction of the miniskirt in the 1970s, and attitudes toward gendered job roles, such as the reluctance among women to take on positions traditionally held by men, like bank tellers.

Mr C.R. Wallman talks about Denison Miller’s background at the Bank of NSW, his own experience as a Branch Manager at the Commonwealth Bank, and contrasts cheque management practices between the Bank of Adelaide and the Commonwealth Bank.

Mr G.F.V. Kohl recalls being interviewed by Denison Miller prior to the Bank’s public opening, and details Miller’s commencement at the Commonwealth Bank on 3 June 1912 in Melbourne. He also discusses the role played by the Assistant Secretary to the Treasurer, Malcolm Shepherd, in nominating Denison Miller for the position of Governor of the Bank to Prime Minister Andrew Fisher.

Reserve Bank of Australia

The transcript for this recording is not available.