Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/624

 598 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The Bank of Adelaide THE most flourishing of locally-founded financial institutions in South Australia is The Bank of Adelaide. Ushered into existence a few years previous to the opening up of the Northern agricultural areas which brought the Province such wide-spread repute for its grain, and such gratifying prosperity, colonists have every right to be thoroughly proud of its history and of its sturdiness. Substantially owned by local people, and managed also by them, it is a conspicuous indication of the financial stability of the country and of the legitimate nature of its pursuits. During the financial cataclysm which swept over all Australia a (cw years ago, The Bank of Adelaide, to quite a noteworthy degree, was unmoved amid the storm ; it stood as a house built upon a rock, On this account not a few congratulations were showered upon each other by South Australians at that period, and their good opinions concerning the Bank were heightened so that its subsequent history, notwithstanding the depression in the Province, has been as prosperous and successful as ever. The ability to weather storm and strife during many years of life, is a just criterion for judgment of merit. In appraising a human character, the philosopher observes how the subject appears when tribulation comes, and how he wears under prosperity. And a banking institution at such periods is not unlike a human being. The Bank of Adelaide was promoted in 1865 by leading men of the time, among them : The Hon. (afterwards .Sir) Henry Ayers, Dr. F. C. Beyer, Messrs. John Dunn