The National Bank of New Zealand Ltd

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This is Princes Street

Perhaps not quite cast in stone as the lettering is actually made of brass which has been atached to the building but in a pretty prominent and permanent way. Although little regard seems to have been given to readability of the name given the way it is laid out, which implies the bank was well established as a brand at the time the building was constructed.

At the top of the building is the inscription AD 1873 which might give the impression this was the age of the building which it is not, it is the date of the original bank building on this site. 

Above the entrance in rather smaller lettering is rebuilt 1912 which is a reference to the existing building

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You can also see in this picture the stained glass window which incorporates the logo of the bank at that time being the intertwined initials of the name. 

Banks used to build such edifices to give you surity as a depositor that they would still be there when you came back for a withdrawal. You could imagine your level of confidence in a bank run out of a tent. What the very first bank looked like (physically) has always been of interest.

As the National Bank is still a prominent brand in NZ I won't attempt to add any history of the original owners. Except to note as an established brand the no longer feel the need to operate out of such permanent structures and like all banks in NZ these days merely operate out of retail premises.

The current major tennant is a finance company so in some ways the building continues with its original purpose.