Ed:  I came across this article which appeared in the "Fiji Sun" in March 2021. They have used my photos and the text from my website. However it adds a bit more interest.

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND in Lautoka?

• Fiji Sun

• 31 Mar 2021

• Jennis Naidu Digital Journalist jennis.naidu@fijisun.com.fj

THEN...The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) Lautoka Branch in the year 1972. Photo: Fiji Connection NOW...The ANZ Lautoka branch recently. Photo: Charles Chambers

The Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) Lautoka branch first opened on July 16, 1951.

It was situated at the end of the curb of Lautoka’s main street- Vitogo Parade. The picture was taken about 22 years since its establishment in the Sugar City.

The bank had a single mens’ Mess upstairs. Every month a new Mess president was elected.

The staff were mostly European back in the day, This branch was a home away from home for many of the staff. Banking hours for customers were 10am Until 12 noon, and 2pm until 3pm. The bank would completely close from 12 until two for lunch.

During Hurricane Bebe in 1972, the staff of the BNZ Lautoka recall on the Fiji Connection page, taking shelter in the Bank Mess on top of the bank. Timber shutters were placed over all the windows in the bank and the staff of 1972 BNZ rode out the storm.

The whole ordeal was described as an altogether scary experience, with winds at 100 kilometres.

There were branches flying and sheets of tin crashing onto the shuttered first floor of the bank. The eye of Hurricane Bebe had passed right over Lautoka. Lautoka town was left devasted after the hurricane.

NOW:

ANZ was first established in the old capital of Levuka as the Union Bank of Australia in 1880.

The Suva branch of the bank was first established in 1883.

In 1951, the Bank of Australasia merged with the Union Bank of Australia to form ANZ Bank Limited. The ANZ Bank Limited since continued to grow in its presence in Fiji with the acquisition of the Fiji operations of Barclays and Grindlays Banks in 1985, the Bank of New Zealand in 1990, and the Bank of Hawaii in 2002.

The ANZ Bank Lautoka Branch was transformed into the latest banking concept, with state-of-theart equipment in 2018.

Information Source:

Fiji Connection and ANZ Fiji