Beyond Bank Australia Ltd
Beyond Bank Australia
Company typeMutual Bank
IndustryBanking
Headquarters,
Australia
ProductsRetail banking
Total assets$8,290.9 million[1]
Members280,000[1]
Number of employees
650
Websitebeyondbank.com.au

Beyond Bank is an Australian customer-owned bank operating in South Australia, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales. It provides financial services to its members, including savings and business accounts, term deposits, loans, insurance and financial planning, and has total assets under management of more than $5 billion. It is a certified B Corp.[2]

History

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Beyond Bank has operated under that name since August 2013 when the Community CPS became a mutual bank and changed its name to Beyond Bank Australia.[3]

It has evolved through a series of mergers of various credit unions, both before and after the 2013 transition to mutual bank status:

  • In March 2006, Community CPS Australia Ltd was formed in a merger between the Commonwealth Public Servants Credit Unions - CPS Credit Union (SA) Ltd and CPS Credit Union Co-operative (ACT) Ltd.
  • In November 2008, Western Australian based United Credit Union Ltd and Westax merged with Community CPS and carried on business under the name United Community.
  • In May 2009 the Polish Community Credit Union also merged with Community CPS.
  • In January 2010 Hunter Region-based Companion Credit Union merged with Community CPS.
  • In June 2011 Wagga Mutual Credit Union, based in the Riverina, merged with Community CPS.
  • In April 2016 Country First Credit Union, based in Griffth, merged with Beyond Bank.
  • In May 2016 Beyond Bank acquired Universal Financial Planning in the Hunter region.
  • In February 2018 My Credit Union, based in NSW, merged with Beyond Bank.
  • On 1 March 2020, Nexus Mutual (formerly Esso employees credit union), based in Melbourne, merged with Beyond Bank.[4]
  • On 1 April 2022, South West Mutual Credit Union, based in Warrnambool, merged with Beyond Bank, bringing their 13,000 customers.[5]
  • On 1 February 2024, First Choice Credit Union, based in Orange, New South Wales, merged with Beyond Bank, bringing their 4,000 customers.[6][7]
  • On 1 March 2024, AWA Alliance Bank, originally the Point Henry Credit Co-operative for employees of Alcoa in Geelong, merged with Beyond Bank, bringing with them 40,000 customers.[8]

Companion Credit Union

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In 1974 a group of Hunter Valley coal miners began talks with the credit union league in Sydney, who approved the commencement of a new credit union.

On 6 January 1975 the Northern Mineworkers Credit Union opened its doors for the first time. Originally the first office was a backroom at the Northern United Mineworkers Federation headquarters in Newcastle.[9]

In 1988 the credit union changed its name from the Northern Mineworkers Credit Union to Companion Credit Union and opened its doors to the general public, so that anyone could be a member.

In 2009, credit union members voted to merge with Community CPS Australia and the merger took effect on 1 January 2010.

Accolades

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In 2012 Community CPS was named Money Magazine's[10] Credit Union of the Year 2012 and awarded the 2012 Mozo[11] People's Choice Award for Best Credit Union.

In June 2016 Beyond Bank became a certified B Corp.

References

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  1. ^ a b Beyond Bank Australia. "Beyond Bank 2022 Annual Report" (PDF). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Beyond Bank Australia - Certified B Corporation - B Lab Global".
  3. ^ "About Us". Beyond Bank Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Nexus Mutual, Beyond Bank Australia seek merger approval". S&P Global. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  5. ^ "South West Credit And Beyond Bank Australia To Merge". South West Credit. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  6. ^ "First Choice Cred Union and Beyond Bank Australia to Merge". First Choice Credit Union. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  7. ^ "First Choice Credit Union and Beyond Bank Australia to merge". Beyond Bank Australia. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Proposed changes for AWA Mutual Limited (AWA)". 25 March 2024.
  9. ^ "'Credit Union Turns Bank". Maitland Mercury. 25 July 2013.
  10. ^ Money Magazine's Archived 28 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Mozo