Commercial Bank of Australia Building, Townsville 1.39

The Commercial Bank of Australia Building is a heritage-listed former bank building at 205-207 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Percy Owen Cowlishaw and built by J C Harrison & Sons. It is also known as the Atinee Building. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.HistoryThe building was erected in and was the second premises of the Commercial Bank of Australia. The Bank operated from this building for forty-one years and the Relatino Restaurant for twenty-three years from 1955. Recently the building has become well known as the Back Packers Hostel.In March 2016, it was occupied by Zambrero, a Mexican fast food restaurant, and a Latin dancing studio.DescriptionThis symmetrical three-storeyed building of the Federation period has deep shady verandahs on the upper two levels. These verandahs, which extend over the footpath, are decorated with cast-iron balustrades and friezes, together with timber fretwork.The ground floor shop front and interior have been modernised while the upper floors remain basically intact. The brick building, which is well designed for the tropics, is surmounted by a parapet and centrally placed pediment. While the structure is in need of maintenance, it is still in reasonable condition and its integrity is basically intact.