Editing Commonwealth Bank (section)

===Foundation (1911–1919)===
{{See also|Reserve Bank of Australia}}
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia was established by the ''Commonwealth Bank Act 1911'', introduced by the [[Andrew Fisher]] [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government, which favoured bank [[nationalisation]], with effect on 22 December 1911.<ref name="CN_MP-TDMP2-R-02">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rba.gov.au/about-rba/history/|title=Reserve Bank of Australia : A Brief History|website=rba.gov.au|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="CN_MP-TDMP2-R-03">{{Cite web|url=http://advance-australia.com.au/upfiles/the_story_of_the_commonwealth_bank.pdf|title=Story of Commonwealth Bank|access-date=5 December 2018|archive-date=1 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301131035/https://advance-australia.com.au/upfiles/the_story_of_the_commonwealth_bank.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a rare move for the time, the bank was to have both savings and general bank business. The bank was also the first bank in Australia to receive a federal government guarantee. The bank's earliest and most strenuous proponent was the flamboyant American-Australian Labor politician [[King O'Malley]], and its first governor was Sir [[Denison Miller]].

The bank opened its first branch in [[Melbourne]] on 15 July 1912.<ref>{{cite book|title=Australia Through Time|publisher=Random House Australia|year=2004|isbn=0-75931-002-5|page=191}}</ref> In an agreement with [[Australia Post]] that exists to this day, the bank also traded through post office agencies. In 1912, it took over the [[State Savings Bank of Tasmania]], and by 1913 it had branches in all six states.

In 1916, the bank moved its head office to [[Sydney]]. It also followed the Australian army into [[New Guinea]], where it opened a branch in [[Rabaul]] and agencies elsewhere.