Located in the historically rich Church Square, the Ons Eerste Volksbank building stands as an architectural testament to a time when cultural and regional sentiments were in full bloom. Combining the classic Cape architectural elements with the characteristic Transvaal brick architecture, this building speaks to the aesthetic choices of its time while resonating deeply with the regionalism movement of the 1930s.
The 1930s saw Pretoria as the heart of a robust movement advocating regionalism in various fields ranging from art and culture to architecture. It was this fervor that contributed to the establishment of the Ons Eerste Volksbank in the late twenties. The bank's inception aimed at bolstering the Afrikaner economy and culture. Its journey saw it transform into Volkskas Bank in 1934, and subsequently, it took on the mantle of Absa Bank.
This wasn't the first space the bank had occupied. Originally situated on the corner of Parlement and Pretorius street, the exponential growth of the bank meant that they soon outgrew their first establishment, necessitating a move to a larger space.
The quest for a new location was an intricate process. After negotiations with the Suid-Afrikaanse Mutual Lewensassuransiemaatskappy, a decision was made to acquire a plot on the western side of Church Square. This piece of land, valued at £3250, was earmarked for the new building.
A special meeting followed to discuss the tenders for constructing the building. Among several contenders, the tender from the firm Van de Koppel en Kie stood out and was finalized for a sum of £12,607. Interestingly, even before the building's completion, Roux and Jacobsz firm (one of Pretoria's pioneering law firms) had already secured an option from the bank to rent the top floor once the construction completed. By May 1930, the construction for the second building commenced and by September the same year, it was ready to serve its purpose.
Today, the Ons Eerste Volksbank building not only stands as a historical monument that whispers tales of the past but also as a symbol of the cultural and economic aspirations of the Afrikaners during a transformative period in South African history.