“The Shire … Local Banking”

Sutherland Credit Union was a fixture in the Sutherland Shire in the south of Sydney for many years but as is the mutual way, it started small …. The Lucas Heights nuclear research facility (today known as ANSTO) holds Australia’s only nuclear research facility. It also produces radiopharmaceuticals. In August 1970, workers at Lucas Heights Research Laboratories got together to discuss the formation of a credit union.

In December 1970, the AAEC Employees Credit Union (AAEC stood for Australian Atomic Energy Commission) was registered.  Its founding board consisted of Brian Charlton (Chair), Ron Sargeant (Vice Chair), Don Nichols, Jock McCuag, Jim Jacobs, Frank Slade, Anita Beard, Ann Cowper and Ron Owers (Secretary). The credit union opened for business in January 1971 on a very small scale with Directors dividing the administrative duties among themselves. However, by July 1971 increased business meant that it became necessary to hire staff. The credit union’s first member, Noela Cox, was taken on as bookkeeper and in December 1971, Ezio Trenga was made the first Manager.

Consistent growth encouraged the team to take the next logical step and turn the credit union into a community-based organisation with a bond serving the entire Sutherland Shire. With that, the Shire of Sutherland Credit Union was born in 1982 with its name shortened to Sutherland Credit Union in 1994.

The first branch was in Miranda and in 1986 another was opened in Sutherland, followed by Engadine in 1990, Cronulla in 1992 and finally Menai in 1996. The credit union installed its first computer in the early 1980s and innovations such as rediATMs, phone and internet banking were introduced as the years rolled on.

In 2010, Sutherland Credit Union celebrated its 40^th anniversary and in 2013 a new name and logo were unveiled. The trading name was changed to “The Shire … Local Banking”. They said, “our new logo represents our geographical location; The Shire seen in the logo as the coastal location represented by the sun and the sea. Local Banking as who we serve and what we do”.

In 2016 The Shire merged with IMB Bank.