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Norman Percy Maitland CHAMPION (1899-1978)

First Manager of Bank of New South Wales in Sutherland

Norman Percy Maitland Champion was born on 23 December 1899 in Parramatta, the son of Cecil Alexander Champion and his wife, Emma Gertrude nee Byrnes. Cecil, a commercial traveller, had married Emma Byrnes at Parramatta in 1896. Cecil and Emma had six children:

 Gordon Cecil Buckingham Champion 1898-1945

 Norman Percy Maitland Champion 1899-1978

 Clive Walter Rhodes Champion 1902-1971

 Iris O G Champion 1903-1921

 Marjorie Ethel Frances Champion 1908-1996

Edith Alexandra Mary Champion 1909-1979

Emma Champion died in 1910 and two years later Cecil married Ellen Catherine Moxham at Singleton, NSW. Cecil and Ellen had four children:

 

Catherine Phyllis Irene Champion 1913

 Cecil William A Champion 1915-1992

Geraldine Emily Mabel Champion 1919-1999

Kenneth Stanley Champion 1923-2007

 

Cecil Champion died at Harris Park, NSW on 7 July 1965. His funeral service was held at St John’s Anglican Cathedral Parramatta where two memorials acknowledge his more than fifty years as an officer of that church. His wife, Ellen Catherine died in 1976 and was buried at Castlebrook Cemetery, Rouse Hill.

Norman Percy Champion was baptised at St John’s Anglican Church, Parramatta on 4 February 1900 and in 1915, was confirmed in the Anglican faith in the same church. At about this time, aged 15, he began his career as a bank officer, a career he would follow until his retirement in 1965 at age 65. The Bank of New South Wales, where he became a bank manger, evolved over time. The City Bank of Sydney (CBS) established in 1863, merged with the Australian Bank of Commerce (ABC) in 1917. The ABC then merged with the Bank of NSW in 1931. The Bank of NSW amalgamated with the Commercial Bank of Australia (CBA) in 1982 to form the current Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC).

After joining the ABC, Champion worked in the country and in later years recalled riding a horse from Coffs Harbour to operate an agency at Woolgoolga. It was in Coffs Harbour that, on 23 January 1924 at St John’s Church of England, Norman Percy Champion married Lila May Best eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs H C Best . 

In the 1931 electoral roll, Norman Champion is described as a bank officer with the ABC bank and in 1935 is located in Merrylands. In 1947 he was moved from Burwood and, as bank manager, opened the branch of the Bank of New South Wales in Boyle Street, Sutherland. In the 1960s the branch moved to Old Princes Highway near Boyle’s Hotel where it remained until its closure by Westpac early in 2019.

Norman Champion was very successful in growing the Sutherland branch and persuaded his superiors to open agencies at Engadine and Jannali which developed into full branches. He remained as manager until his retirement in 1965 aged 65.

Norman and Lila Champion had two sons, Ronald Maxwell (1935-1991) and Douglas (1932 ). They lived in Glencoe Street, Sutherland but after Norman’s retirement moved to Baulkham Hills. Norman Champion died on 17 June 1978 and his funeral took place at Castlebrook Crematorium, Rouse Hill NSW. Lila Champion died on 8 October 1994 at Westmead NSW and her funeral also took place at Castlebrook Crematorium, Rouse Hill.

Colleen Passfield 2019

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