ISite - Thames Street

European settlement began in 1853 in Oamaru. The Harbour, during the late 19th Century, was vital for Oamaru and its farming hinterland. Grain and wool were housed in often-ornate warehouses built and carved from locally quarried Oamaru limestone.

As the rural economy boomed, the Harbour area became a hub for prosperous businesses, banks, hotels and new industries.

Today, many of the majestic Oamaru Whitestone buildings comprising the Harbour/Tyne Historic Precinct still stand. They are now home to a collection of curio shops, restaurants, gift stores, a Motoring Museum, a hotel, a fascinating book store, traditional craftsmen, the Oamaru Steam Train and Sunday markets.

The Colonial Bank of New Zealand was a Dunedin institution formed to compete with the Bank of Otago. It spread throughout New Zealand. The Colonial Bank of New Zealand opened its first premises on Tyne Street in 1876.

It quickly outgrew its temporary premises and arranged to lease Harbour Board land on the corner of Thames and Itchen Streets. The building has architectural, historical and social significance for its role as a provincial financial institution and for its strong visual contribution to the character of the centre of Oamaru.

In 1895, the Bank of New Zealand purchased the Colonial Bank. The Bank of New Zealand occupied this building until 1969. After the bank vacated the building, the Oamaru Operative Society moved in.

In 2015, the former Colonial Bank is home to Oamaru’s I-Site information centre.