Colonial Bank Building, Holyhead Street, Outram

The former Colonial Bank/BNZ Bank on Holyhead Street in Outram, was designed by Dunedin architect, David Ross (1828-1908). The land for the building was purchased in 1876 and the building completed in 1878.

With the discovery of gold, the independent Colonial Bank of New Zealand had been founded in 1874 to support local entrepreneurism, with a head office in Dunedin. By 1889 there were a total of 24 branches in New Zealand, including one in the Taieri Town of Outram, and an office in London. The bank was heavily promoted by William Larnach. 

A financial slump in 1893 led to the collapse of the bank and its takeover by the Bank of New Zealand. The bank's failure was a financial disaster for William Larnach, who had substantial shareholdings in the Colonial Bank, and had purchased further shares in the troubled financial institution just prior to its collapse, as a show of support. Learning of the bank's collapse, Mr Larnach committed suicide in a chamber at the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington. 

Having been run as a bank for 15 years, the Outram branch building was then sold in 1894 to Alexander McLeod, and was subsequently occupied by various diverse businesses over the years.

In 1910, a small general business was operated by Mick Keppell, who later branched out into sweets, soft drinks, cycle repairs and hairdressing, until Mr Keppell's one too many visits across the road to the Outram Hotel became the ruin of his business.

It is believed by the current building owners that the next family to live here were the Wilson family, who ran a hairdressing business in the 1920’s.

From 1935 until 1949, the Graham Family lived here while building then operating the garage next door, while the two front rooms of the building were rented out to the local Infant school teacher, Miss Miller and a Mrs McKay a dressmaker. The Graham family with 4 children lived in the rest of the house.

The next owner was Alexander Cheynev who operated as Outram Drapers for a time, before selling it to Alan Winders, the proprietor of the Garage next door.  Winders added a lean-to and used the building as storage for car parts etc for many years.

The current owners purchased the property in 1994 and have done what has been necessary to preserve the building. 

Oldenew Colonial Collectibles started in 2008 selling Antiques, Furniture etc from both these rooms until the end of 2018 when Craft Room on 87 needed new premises and moved into the bigger of these 2 rooms. With Covid restrictions and lives changing it was decided to close the shop at the end of 2021.