A compact but grand, three-storey, rendered brick building in a classical idiom, the former Bank of New South Wales stands prominently to upper Mary Street, Gympie. Built on a sloping site with frontages to Mary and Reef streets, the three-bay main elevation to Mary Street is defined by the corner banded
pilasters and articulated by two implied orders of pilasters, Corinthian to the upper level and Doric within a rusticated treatment to the ground level. Projecting
cornices and continuous window sills to each level together with a balustraded
parapet and a blind balustrade below the upper-level windows give horizontal unity. Projecting banded pilasters frame the central bay which accommodates a rusticated portal entrance below a
serlian-inspired window. The upper-level outer bays accommodate pedimented full pane sash windows framed by plain projecting
architraves with base ears. The street level accommodates two full pane sash windows to the south bay and a
sash window and six-panel timber door with large
fanlight to the north. The Reef Street elevation consists of the west wing, each level of which is punctuated by a central full pane sash window, and the enclosed extension beyond the upper-level verandah. The northwest and southeast elevations are partly obscured by adjacent buildings. The northwest elevation of the west wing is notable for the decorative metal
awning to the upper sash window. The southeast elevation is divided into four bays by plain pilasters, is crowned by a blind parapet concealing the hipped roof beyond, and is punctuated by full pane sash windows to each level. The
entablature and
cornice of the upper level of the front elevation continues around in the southeast elevation. A lower curved parapet screens the rear upper-level verandah roof and the elevation houses a narrow rectangular louvred window. There is evidence of the removal of French windows and replacement with the sash windows to the upper level of the southeast elevation. The earlier verandah has been replaced by a suspended awning. The building is sheltered by hipped roofs clad with corrugated metal sheeting and three rendered masonry
chimneys project through the roof. Square in plan with a projecting west wing, the building is organised over three levels. The former banking chamber is accommodated at the Mary Street level, the bank vaults and storage are housed in the basement and the former bank manager's residence occupies the upper level. The ground floor retains the major spaces of the former bank including the main banking chamber, manager's office, and strong room and accountant/clerks office, and the entrance to the residence above. The banking chamber is accessed from the central main entrance off Mary Street and is notable for its decorative pressed metal ceiling. The manager's office, opening off the chamber to the northwest, has a pressed metal ceiling, granite surround fireplace, and a substantial strong room to the southwest. The strong room, a painted brick rectangular space with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, has a heavy metal door with the maker's plate "Milners' 212 Patent Thief-Resisting". The strong room houses a small safe with the maker's plate "John Tann's Reliance Safe". The accountant/clerk's office, a large rectangular room to the southwest of the banking chamber is notable for its decorative plaster ceiling in an
art deco style. The interior walls of the former banking floor spaces, except the strong room, are plaster finished and are distinguished by timber veneer wall panelling. The office in the west wing retains its fireplace cavity now housing a cupboard. The basement, level with Reef Street, has a concrete floor and concrete and brick walls and accommodates a number of vaults and storage rooms below the banking floor. In some spaces the timber frame of the floor above is unlined. The rear office has a painted off-form concrete finish to the walls and fireplace and the ceiling is lined with fibre cement sheeting. A handsome cedar staircase rises from the corridor extending from the northern entrance off Mary Street. The staircase has with finely turned balustrades and carved
newel posts. The upper level is organised around a central corridor incorporating a hall at the top of the
stairs with two rooms to the Mary Street side and two to Reef Street. French windows to the rooms on the Reef Street side open onto a verandah, now enclosed with weatherboard cladding and casement windows, running along the Reef Street side. All interior walls are plastered and this level is notable for decorative pressed metal ceilings to rooms, hall, corridor, and staircase soffits and the retention of much original cedar joinery including skirtings, architraves, doors, and windows. The front rooms have back to back fireplaces with marble surrounds. Decorative arches with prominent
keystones at the top of the stairs and part way along the corridor define the hall. Accessed from the rear verandah, the single room west wing is lit by full pane sash windows on three sides and has a recent plain plaster ceiling. A concrete parking area runs to the rear of the building accessed from Reef Street. Recent partitioning and extensions to the southwest of the building at all levels and a new wing to the southeast are not considered to be of heritage significance. == Heritage listing ==