Peter Wynd was the founding secretary of the SBV Social Club. Peter has provided some history and background the Social Club’s formation, the activities it organised and the services it provided.
The State Bank Social Club organised many activities for staff and their families. To view photos of the Staff Shop and some of the many activities organised by the Social Club, click on the links below:
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History of the SSB/SBV Social Club,
Thanks go to Peter Wynd for providing the words below and the many photos about the Social Club and its activities.
In the 1970s the State Bank Basketball Club participated in the Inter Bank Basketball Tournament at the Albert Park stadium on a usually hot November Sunday.
Afterwards the team celebrated at the ANZ Social Club rooms in Collins Street. They had wonderful facilities, all provided by the ANZ Bank.
This got Peter Wynd thinking. SSB people were very social, so why not have our own Social Club?
Peter met the Social Club secretaries of all the other major banks and learnt how they ran their clubs. They were very supportive of SSB staff setting up their own Social Club.
Peter wrote to The Bank executive with the suggestion that we have our own official social club. Peter can’t recall who it was in the Bank hierarchy at the time who approved and supported the concept. If someone does remember, please advise Peter. The Social Club started in December 1980, and Peter initially reported to Jack Crofts, who was regarded as austere, but he supported the new club from the start.
The success of the Social Club is due to the way that the staff near and far embraced it, from Pleasant Wednesday Evenings (PWEs), Kids Christmas parties (both commenced in 1985), photo processing, the many discounts available and especially our staff shops.
Before the State Bank Centre shop opened in December 1983, the Social Club ran a range of specials out of the office. Top sellers were: Video and Audio tapes from the fledgling JB HiFi with one shop in East Keilor, Neat’n’Trim ladies’ uniforms, State Bank windcheaters, Melways No. 14 @ $10, Patons wool, hand bags, and of course photo processing and films. When the shop opened the range of merchandise offered grew very quickly.
The shop staff were particularly chuffed early in 1984 when a staff member came into the shop and thanked them. She had bought all of her Christmas presents from the shop, and told them how much she had saved.
It may come as a surprise that the Social Club and shop turned over $1,048,000 in 1985/86. Shop sales and mail orders to branches accounted for $525K and photo processing $411K.
The shop was so popular that, when some departments moved to South Melbourne (Kings Garden) in 1986/87, a second shop was opened there.
The shops were so successful, not only due to the staff support, but because The Bank covered all overheads, allowing the club to add a very small, 5% mark-up that couldn’t be matched by other retail outlets.
In April 1985 The Social Club Committee was established. The foundation members were: Kerrie Faravoni, Sue Bentley, Terry Dynes, Ian Jenkins, Mark Salmon (Minutes Secretary) and Peter Wynd (Secretary). The combined experience of all produced numerous ideas and initiatives resulting in a burgeoning of Social Club activities.
From 1983 a weekly newsletter was published, originally the Social News and then Staffline, beautifully illustrated by the brilliant Cal Turner. Again the staff embraced this, participating in the Billboard section with branch social notices, engagements, weddings, baby arrivals, general gossip, as well as items for sale, change of leave, etc. What was evident was the good humour and comradeship of the State Bank people.
The SBV Social Club also participated in The Combined Banks Purchasing Scheme, which offered generous discounts from a very large range of retail and bulk outlets.
The Social Secretaries of all of the major banks participated in a Combined Banks Committee which met regularly to discuss ways in which they could improve their respective clubs and in this way help each other. There was no rivalry. They shared many new ideas and initiatives.
In 1987 the Club opened a Fitness Centre on Level 1 of the State Bank Centre. Again, this was very well patronized from the start and under the expert care of Kelly and Gabrielle. The pool, spa, sauna and aerobics sessions were very popular.
The State Bank Social Club was such a success for many reasons:
- the foresight of the Bank’s hierarchy in supporting the idea in the first place,
- the added support of the many other departments which contributed; Personnel, Premises, Internal Audit, Correspondence and Marketing,
- the support of the Social Secretaries of the other banks: National, ANZ, Reserve, CBA, and Westpac,
- the excellent service provided by the many company reps who we dealt with in managing the two shops and wider mail order service,
- Photoscene and Kodak for maintaining the efficient photo processing service, and for providing the annual Guide to Staff Services booklet,
- the many wonderful staff who worked in the Social Club over thirteen years; it was a labour of love, and
- most of all, the way in which the Bank’s staff, from the most far flung branches to HO departments, embraced the Social Club by using the shops and making social functions and trips away the best ever.
Our outstanding highlights were the Kids Christmas parties and the PWEs (a concept stolen from the ANZ Bank Social Club).
Peter is reluctant to name names for the risk of omitting someone, however, he mentions a few.
- The first to join Peter in the Social Club was State Bank Basketball Club star Jillian Eddy in 1981.
- In April ’84 the effervescent Sue Nicolic (Kennedy) joined the team
- the industrious Lorraine Marazita (Gauci) started in late in 1984 and then, as captain, went down with the ship in 1993,
- the congenial and witty Trevor Walters (joined Nov ’85), manning the lifeboats.
All who worked in the Social Club were wonderful people and were a diligent and professional team. Thanks to Max Langham, Geoff Peters and Personnel Dept for their support.
After the CBA takeover in 1991, the Social Club and shops continued as a State Bank institution. In February 1993 the CBA closed everything.
Fortunately, we still have numerous photos, almost every copy of “Staffline” from ’81 to ’87, and “Guide to Staff Services” booklet; copies of the minutes for committee meetings, and other bits and pieces – and the memories.
Peter scanned the many photos of the PWEs, Kids Christmas Parties, etc., as well as the “Guide to Staff Services” booklets. Peter was unsure of some of the dates, so has made guesses. Let Peter know if you can contribute with more accurate information.
We hope you enjoy reliving the good old days and recognising yourselves from 30 years ago by looking at this website for these and many more State Bank memories. All of the Social Club records will eventually be available on line or in the Retired Officers memorabilia collection.
Looking back on all of this makes it obvious what a benevolent and highly professional organisation the State Bank was.