It has been operating since October 1861, and since 1992 has been owned by National Australia Bank (NAB), retaining local governance with a New Zealand board of directors.

There was plenty of employment, development moved quickly and very good prospects brought property prices to high values.

Land fell to half its former value and was impossible to realise, many runholders and businessmen were ruined and the working classes were unable to purchase goods or pay their debts.

[citation needed] At some point, the business entity known as Bank of New Zealand in Australia (BNZA) was absorbed by NAB.

These cover a wide range of sectors, including primary industries; manufacturing and retailing; energy; utilities; telecommunications and infrastructure; property; local government; health; and education.

In December 2010, BNZ was appointed as lead arranger for the newly formed Auckland Council’s $600 million syndicated bank loan facility.

[18] The most visible aspect of the initiative came through the construction of three brand new, energy efficient buildings to house the bulk of the company’s management and administration staff.

The third was the Harbour Quays complex on the Wellington waterfront, built in 2009 and demolished in 2019 after suffering damage in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.