Wespac, the largest banking institution in Australia is to open a new branch in London next Tuesday to support its Australian and New Zealand customers and also to assist Britons wishing to immigrate to Australia by enabling them to open a bank account before they even enter Australia.
For British people wanting to emigrate to Australia or New Zealand, the London bank will come in handy. Bank accounts, credit cards and even mortgages can all be approved from the London branch before you even book those one-way tickets.
The London branch will also support the tourist industry for visitors travelling from Australia and New Zealand to the UK, providing them with vital services and assistance.
It is not the first time Wespac has provided such a service to fellow countrymen and migrants in the UK – they first opened a branch in the heart of London in 1853 and at the peak of their banking employed 900 staff divided across three London branches. As well as offering a banking service Wespac also delivered around 60,000 packages each year sent from London to their families back home.
Unfortunately these branches closed during the late 1990’s due to a banking review that recommended concentrating on Australiasian businesses and slimming down the banks operations in Europe.
Now the bank has reversed this trend and there’s no doubt that the re-opening of a London branch will be welcomed by many. The branch will be located on the 1st floor of the existing Wespac Offices at St Mary Axe near Houndsditch for now, but aim to be in their own ground floor offices by 2011.
Westpac’s migrant and expatriate banking UK senior manager Anthony Davison said, “The reopening of a Westpac retail banking branch in the City of London is an important first step in providing better support and service to those aspiration Australians and New Zealanders in the UK and also those aspiring to live in Australia or New Zealand”
