The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW) building on the corner of Brisbane and St John Streets, Launceston, Tasmania, 1976. The Bank of New South Wales. also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817. The Bank of NSW merged with many other financial institutions, finally merging with the Commercial Bank of Australia in 1982 and being renamed to the Westpac Banking Corporation on 4 May that year.