News Corp Australia
First published 16 Feb 2026, 5:00am
A Brinkworth property owner is hoping a celebrity neighbour might be enough to secure the sale of his own character home.
The former Brinkworth bank at 35 Main St has received minimal interest after spending a year on the market under various real estate companies.
But the recent sale of an old Brinkworth church to The Block 2025 star Mat Johnson could finally see genuine inquiries for the historic building and residence, according to current selling agent Stephen Thompson, of First National Estate – Peoples’ Choice.
“I think there will be more interest (in the bank, following Mr Johnson’s purchase),’’ said Mr Thompson, who took over the bank listing this month.
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The former Brinkworth bank at 35 Main St is being sold as a home.
The Block 2025’s SA team, Robby Lippett and Mat Johnson. Matt recently purchased a church in Brinkworth. Picture: supplied.
The former bank’s kitchen includes the original wood stove along with a more modern, electric oven.
“It (Mr Johnson’s purchase) is recognition of the fact that people with smarts recognise that there’s a lot of value here (in Brinkworth).’’
The bank, which is being marketed as a four-bedroom home, comes with the original bank vault, complete with the names of former employees scrawled on the vault door.
The 1027sqm property, which is just streets away from the church, would make a wonderful home for artists, authors or other creative-types seeking “calm and peaceful silence’’, Mr Thompson said.
It would also be ideal for frequent travellers who needed a home base, he said.
The vault could be converted to a second cellar, he said, admitting the sales listing flippantly suggested it could also be “somewhere to store vast amounts of gold bullion’’.
“There’s been a resurgence of country towns recently,’’ Mr Thompson said.
“People are selling their properties in the metropolitan area and buying a property in the country and getting them for probably 30 or 40 per cent less than what they received for the sale of their Adelaide property.
“And with the bank and the church, you can’t build them for that (asking price) these days.’’
The old bank, which was first opened as a branch of the Bank of Adelaide in 1903 and was rebadged as an ANZ branch in 1976 before closing four years later, has a price guide of $385,000 to $445,000.
Property records show Mr Johnson paid $250,000 for the 1910-built former Anglican church, which he intends to convert to boutique accommodation.
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The property has one bathroom and four bedrooms.
The original bank vault still remains in the property – former tellers’ names can be seen scrawled on the door.
The property has been on and off the market several times over the past year.
Mr Thompson said he was the “fifth or sixth’’ agent to list the former bank on behalf of the vendor, who had a history of buying country dwellings and reselling them.
The vault door has been a strong talking point among those who have inspected the building – Selling SA Homes agent Ashley Williams, who marketed the property for about four months last year, said it had prompted just as much curiosity from the families of past tellers as it had from serious buyers.
“Probably we’ve had over 30 or so (people inspect the building), including a number of families that have come to see their parents’ names on the door and to take a photo,’’ Ms Williams said last June.
“They (are children of those that) have worked in the bank and live in retirement homes now so they have come and taken photos of the names and they blow them up (enlarge them) and show them to their parents as a bit of memorabilia.’’
Mr Thompson confirmed the bank building was not heritage listed but said Main St was recognised as a historic conservation area due to its character streetscape.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 