SBS Bank was established in 1869, when one of its founders, James Walker Bain, walked 204 kilometers from Dunedin to Invercargill.The bank was founded in 1869 as the
Southland Building, Land and Investment Society. Seven years later in 1876 it was renamed as
Southland Building and Investment Society and Bank of Deposit. The bank's purpose was to provide a safe place for people to store their money and to help them get mortgages and own homes. One of the founders
James Walker Bain became the society's president for the next 30 years. In 1995 the name of the bank officially changed Southland Building Society and in 2008 to SBS Bank. In 2010 Hastings Building Society (HBS) joined with SBS Bank and in November 2015 HBS Bank amalgamated with SBS Bank. == Sponsorships ==