Heartland Group is proud to mark a significant milestone in its history: 150 years of providing banking and finance solutions to New Zealanders and Australians.
From its humble beginnings as a building society in Ashburton in 1875, Heartland has evolved into a growing trans-Tasman banking group built on a legacy of resilience, aspiration, and a commitment to doing things differently.
In its first year, the Ashburton Permanent Building & Investment Society recorded £233 in mortgage lending. At 30 June 2025, Heartland’s lending totalled $7.16 billion – spanning household, rural and commercial loans across New Zealand and Australia.
Beginning in 1875 with Ashburton Permanent Building & Investment, the organisation evolved through multiple successive mergers to establish Heartland in 2011.
Heartland’s acquisition of its Australian reverse mortgage business in 2014 marked the beginning of its trans-Tasman footprint, later solidified with the acquisition of StockCo Australia in 2022 and Challenger Bank in 2024 to form Heartland Bank Australia – the latter making Heartland Bank the first New Zealand bank to acquire an Australian bank.
“We’re reshaping what a trans-Tasman banking group can be. By staying focused on areas where we can add real value, we believe Heartland will remain a resilient and purpose-driven organisation for years to come,” Heartland Group CEO Andrew Dixson said.
Today, Heartland is a listed Australasian financial services group, comprising two banks: Heartland Bank in New Zealand and Heartland Bank in Australia.
Both banks focus on providing specialist banking products that enable better lives for New Zealanders and Australians. These include Reverse Mortgages, Livestock Finance, and Savings and Deposits in both countries, with Motor Finance and Asset Finance offered in New Zealand.
“Heartland’s story is one of continuous progress, evolving our products, services, and digital capabilities so customers have more ways to reach their goals,” Heartland Bank New Zealand CEO Leanne Lazarus said.
“For a century and a half, we have been helping New Zealanders navigate some of their most important financial moments. Our uniquely Kiwi heritage remains the cornerstone of a specialist banking model designed to help customers unlock opportunity.”
Heartland is supported by more than 13,000 shareholders and a team of around 600 people servicing over 185,000 customers across New Zealand and Australia.
“Our legacy is built upon the enduring trust of our shareholders, our people, and most importantly, our customers. It is this foundation of trust that has shaped our journey so far and continues to fuel our ambitious vision for the future,” Dixson said.
Learn more about Heartland’s heritage in ‘The heart of it’, a book and short film featuring the voices of more than 40 past and present employees, customers, directors and shareholders to honour all those who helped shape Heartland. This is available from Heartland’s website: heartlandgroup.info/about-heartland/our-brand-story
About Heartland Bank
Heartland Bank Limited (Heartland Bank) is a 100% New Zealand operated and managed bank with a long history stretching back to Ashburton in 1875. It provides customers with specialist banking products, including Reverse Mortgages, Livestock Finance, Motor Finance, Asset Finance and Savings and Deposit products.
Heartland Bank has been awarded Canstar’s Bank of the Year Savings for eight consecutive years (2018-2025) and is New Zealand’s leading provider of reverse mortgages. Its Reverse Mortgages have received Consumer Trusted accreditation from Consumer NZ for eight years in a row from 2017 – 2024. Heartland Bank’s point of differentiation is its ‘best or only’ strategy – where it focuses on providing banking products which are the best or only of their kind through scalable digital platforms. Read more here.
About Heartland Group
Heartland Group Holdings Limited (Heartland Group) is a trans-Tasman banking group listed on the NZX and ASX (HGH), with a rich history dating back to 1875. Heartland Group is the listed holding company for Heartland Bank Limited in New Zealand and Heartland Bank Australia Limited. Each bank focuses on specialist banking products, including Reverse Mortgages, Livestock Finance, and Savings and Deposits in both countries. In New Zealand, Heartland Bank also offers Motor Finance and Asset Finance. Read more here.
