Jillian Kilby, Good Foundations Property managing director and owner of the former Union Bank building, is excited for people to see the fresh renovations to the 140-year-old site. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Wagga Wagga was first established as a borough in 1870, and in its 150-year history, it has played host to some iconic buildings, including the instantly recognisable former Union Bank site at 44 Fitzmaurice Street.
Serving as a bank from the 1880s until the early 2000s, the former Union Bank building remained one of the constants in an ever-changing city. However, in recent years, it lay dormant even as its iconic white walls tower over Fitzmaurice and Johnston streets.
That is, until now.
In 2024, the building was put up for sale by Boyce Chartered Accountants and was eventually sold to Jillian Kilby, the director of Good Foundations Property.
Good Foundations is a property group that aims to rejuvenate historic buildings and reimagine them in modern settings while retaining the traditional feel. Its newest project was to breathe new life into the Union Bank building.
“The former Union Bank building was constructed between 1883 and 1885. The architect was the very famous Australian architect William Wilkinson Wardell,” Ms Kilby said.
“He also designed St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, St John’s College at Sydney University, and Government House in Melbourne.
“He was engaged by the Union Bank to do a number of buildings in Australia, including this one.
“Since then, the building has always had such an incredible presence when you walk down the street and you look up. You admire the significance and the beauty of the building.”
As a civil engineer, Ms Kilby has always been attracted to historic buildings, having previously bought and worked on the heritage-listed Dubbo Clock Tower and the Ice Works in Narrabri.
“This building originally came to my attention through Scott Turner from Knight Frank,” Ms Kilby said.
“He rang knowing that I’ve refurbished four previous buildings similar to this one, across NSW. He said, ‘We have one similar here in Wagga, and the owners are keen to sell.’
“The owners were Boyce Chartered Accountants. We spoke to them, but before they sold it, they wanted to ensure the building was sold to someone who would look after it.
“We worked very closely with the team at Boyce to ensure the tailored renovations kept that traditional feel alive.”
Ms Kilby and her team worked around the clock to respectfully reconstruct the building, hiring local contractor Shepherd Building and Construction to undertake the renovation.
“We’ve planned things out very carefully. We do all the planning up front. We’re not making decisions on the fly,” she said.
“We’ve been working closely with Lahn Shepherd, who has been an absolute dream to work with. He’s so organised and uses all local trades.
“We want to celebrate all the heritage features while adding modern amenities if they are necessary, such as ensuring there’s disabled access, disabled bathrooms, accessible bathrooms, good-quality carpet, and good-quality timber flooring.
“We believe it is really important to have a collaborative space, so ensuring that an office comes with an open kitchen that the team can get together and have a cuppa at the kitchen table and discuss was one of the important things we wanted to get right.”
Among the building’s original features that have remained include the iconic tall green doors on the Fitzmaurice Street side and the two traditional bank vaults on the ground and first floors.
“The works are set to be completed by Friday, 12 September, when the building will be opened for people to step inside and see the changes for themselves,” Ms Kilby said.
“Knight Frank has looked after the property for the last two years and will be putting it out for lease once it is finished.
“We really hope the tenant who comes in here loves the space as much as we do and loves the ability to put their brand on the tower and for them to be able to invite their customers in.
“On the Friday [12 September], we will be hosting a heritage talk about the building, hosted by Jeff Burch, from Wagga Wagga and District Historical Society. They’ll be covering the history of the building, the location and the architect.
“From 9:30 am, we will be throwing open the doors and giving people the chance to see what’s inside.”
Ms Kilby said she hoped the building, now celebrating its 140th year, would continue to operate for the next 140 and that the new renovations would help it do that.
“I am just one of many custodians who care for the building over time,” she said.
“I won’t be here forever, so, at some point, I will hand this building on to the next owner, and it’s their job to look after this building and so on for the next 140 years.”
