The Banker
Text Version
The Banker was created by renowned Brisbane sculptor Leonard Shillam in 1970. The aluminium sculpture was commissioned by the Westpac Banking Corporation following a competition and when completed was installed on the facade of the Westpac Bank building that faces Post Office Square.
Leonard Shillam studied drawing at the Brisbane Technical College from 1931-34 and with the aid of a Carnegie Corporation travelling scholarship, studied art in London from 1938-39. Shillam is credited with introducing modern sculpture to Brisbane upon his return from London and from 1950 onward he worked as a full-time sculptor.
According to Judith McKay’s Brisbane Sculpture Guide: A Walk Around Public Sculpture in the City “The Doric columns and entablature over the money-changer refer to the stability and antiquity of banking”
