Who is... Westpac Bank

Not sure which institution to do business with? Want to find out more about the various providers? Here’s the dish on Westpac.

Westpac is the oldest bank in Australia, beginning life as the Bank of NSW in 1817. The current name derives from the fact the bank formed after the mergers of several banks to become a major player in the Western Pacific. It is the fourth largest bank in Australia, and strong across the Australasian region, with numerous branches in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific.

Involved in personal, business and corporate banking, Westpac also has a technology arm by the name of Business Technology Solutions and Services (BTSS). Along with global assets of $300bn at the end of 2006, 290,000 people are shareholders in the firm.

Westpac products and services

Westpac divides its business activities into five main areas:

• Business and Customer Banking.  A full-range of banking services, from deposits and transactions, to lending and credit cards. Services include home loans as well as personal loans, investments (including structured investments and advice), superannuation packages, plus extensive insurance and small-business banking services. Their 0.7 percent per annum interest rate on selected home loan packages helped them secure the prize of Australia's Best Home Loan Package for 2007.
• BT Financial Group.  The BT Group deal with asset accumulation, investment management and life insurance in Australia.
• Westpac Institutional Bank (WIB).  This provides companies and institutions in Australia and New Zealand with financial services, ranging from enterprise funding to market risk advice.
• New Zealand retail operations.
• Pacific banking. 

Contact Westpac 

www.westpac.com.au

C/- Group Secretariat,
Level 20, 275 Kent Street,
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 9293 9270
Fax: (02) 8253 1888