Macquarie Bank origins
Macquarie Bank began as Hill Samuel Australia on December 10, 1969, a subsidiary of the British bank of the same name. After the deregulation of financial markets in Australia during the 1980s, the bank transitioned to a new, Australian owned bank.
It was named after Lachlan Macquarie, who was the Governor of New South Wales from 1810-1821. Macquarie famously solved currency shortages during the early 19th century with 40,000 silver dollars from Sweden that had a hole put through the middle, creating two unique coins.
The bank's growth trajectory continued through the 80s, 90s and 2000s. It was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1996 (Sign: MQG) and expanded into international markets. Beginning with the Hills Motorway in Sydney, Macquarie became a major infrastructure investor.
Macquarie Group Foundation
Macquarie also made significant contributions to the community through its philanthropic arm, the Macquarie Group Foundation, which has donated over $A330 million worldwide. The Foundation is known to have one of the largest corporate art collections in Australia.
Macquarie Bank in 2024
As of 2024, Macquarie has a presence in a variety of sectors including asset management, retail and business banking and wealth management among others.
For fans of English football, Macquarie has written major loans for Leicester, Wolves, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Southampton among several other clubs since 2015. At one stage, it was the second biggest lender for English football teams.
