ANZ follows Dave to Docklands

After arriving in Australia four years ago as ANZ’s general manager Australia operations, Dave Curren chose Docklands as a place to live.

The brisk 20-minute walk from Yarra’s Edge into the CBD each day was part of the attraction.  It gives him time to think and a chance to exercise.

So when ANZ moves 6500 staff to just the other side of the river from his home later this year, Dave is going to have to find a longer constitutional walk.

“Being so close to work will be both a blessing and a curse,” he laughed.

Back in 2005 there was no suggestion the bank would be relocating to Docklands. 

Mr Curren recalls that the area on the other side of the river to his home was primarily used by hot air balloonists and was most notable as the start/finish point for the annual “Around the Bay in a Day” cycle challenge.

“The NAB building was there.  But there was nothing between there and Yarra’s Edge,” he said.

Mr Curren will be responsible for 2000 of the ANZ employees moving to Docklands from October.  The bank is consolidating 13 buildings down to just eight with the move.

His department will occupy two and a half floors of the new building.  Each floor of the massive commercial tenancy is a hectare in area.  But Mr Curren said the spaces still felt personal.

“It’s going to be spectacular to have my operations team together,” he said.

Mr Curren is a huge fan of Docklands. 

In the four years that Mr Curren has lived here, he has clocked up only 10,500 kms in his car.

“It’s just so convenient living here,” he said.  “You can just walk into the city to catch a movie or a play or wander over to the botanical gardens.”

He said everything was available in Docklands within easy walking distance including a supermarket and first class restaurants.

Mr Curren recently brought his leadership team to a pizza making night at Va Bene pizzeria to demonstrate the amenity of Docklands.

“I wanted to show them that there is life and plenty of things to do here in Docklands,” he said.

Mr Curren describes himself as a global nomad.  He started his career as a research chemist and has lived in 12 places over the past 24 years.  The dual US/Australian citizen has lived in the US and the UK and also spent time in Sydney from 1997 when GE Capital Finance Services brought him to Australia for his first visit.

He said he loved Melbourne and was putting roots down here in Docklands.

Mr Curren described the view back to the city from his 36th-floor apartment as “Manhattanesque” and said it was the perfect vantage point for New Year’s  Eve fireworks.