There were tears, hugs and cries of frustration as the Bendigo Bank agencies in Barham and Cohuna closed down this week. Despite the Bendigo Bank banking a tidy $488.1 million in net profit for 2022, the better big bank has left communities out in the cold.

Host business for the Barham and Cohuna agencies Golden Rivers Real Estate principal Lauren Polkinghorne said it had been an emotional month. 

“We’ve had great pleasure in helping to maintain banking services to the community.

“We’ve made some great friendships and the importance of face-to-face services cannot be underestimated. 

“There are many services that an agency provides that aren’t collected in transactional data and I’m also aware that costs will now increase for transactions performed at Australia Post. 

“As this chapter closes, we will focus on our core business of servicing the real estate needs of the Gannawarra and Murray River Council areas with our offices in Cohuna and Barham. 

“We’d also like to thank our banking customers and staff for keeping banking alive locally.”  

Joan Walle, Bendigo Bank customer, was there on the final day and was bitterly disappointed with the bank’s decision.

“I feel for the elderly as there is no public transport from here to Kerang, how are they going to get there?

“One woman went over in a taxi and it was $50 to get there and $50 to get home.

“How can a pensioner afford it?

“They haven’t thought of country people, they are supposed to be the best bank looking after us, they’re not!”

A group of bank customers gathered to express their displeasure and commemorate the day Barham lost its last bank.

Elderly Barham resident, Annie Baines, said, “It used to be a community bank but they’ve gone with the big banks now, it’s not good for us people in the country.

“Take the doctors away, take the banks away, take everything away.

“I don’t drive, I have my scooter, but it won’t go to Kerang.

“It’s all about money, that’s what it’s always about.” 

Leanne Heffer utilises the bank in many community roles and said she can see real impacts from the bank’s decision.

“Regional has been hit again, they don’t care about people in the country.   

“It’s taking away people’s independence as they now have to rely on other people.

“People will go out of town to the bank, then they do their shopping while they’re there.

“This is what came up and everything we went through with the doctors.

“I think we’ve got a great vibrant town and we want to keep it that way.”

Cynthia Underwood said it was a very sad day. 

“What a sad, sad day this is for our town of Barham and their community.

“We are told just to go online to do business, well that is not the same as talking face-to-face to our friendly staff at Barham, who have always been only too happy to help.

“Now our nearest bank is over half an hour away or more for that same help.”

With the Bendigo Bank’s departures, Barham will be left with the post office as an alternative and Cohuna having a NAB on limited hours and a post office. One shop owner expressed shock that services the agency performed for free (with no reimbursement by the bank) would now cost $8 at Australia Post. 

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 27 July 2023.