Tweed BGF Members' Credit Union was registered on 9 August, 1966. Initially membership of the credit union was open only to those who held at least one share in the Banana Growers' Federation on the Tweed roll. This was later extended to those on the Brunswick and Richmond District Rolls.
For the first five years the credit union was conducted by volunteers in the B.G.F. Office in Murwillumbah. In 1972 the credit union acquired an office in the B.G.F. [Banana Growers' Federation] Building in Wollumbin Street, Murwillumbah and permanent staff. In 1972 the staff consisted of a Manager-Treasurer, Secretary and office assistant.
The credit union expanded and purchased a property from C.W. Beer and Partners and moved from Wollumbin Street, to this new building (renamed Credit Union House). On 28 April 1973 Credit Union House in Murwillumbah was officially opened.
In 1974 the credit union bought its first computer (an Olivetti P603) to update members’ records and to automatically calculate loans and savings interest. At that time there were about 3000 members and deposits totalling almost $2 million.
On 28 November 1975 the Credit Union was re-named Tweed-Byron Credit Union and on 2 January 1976 it accepted the engagements of the Lismore Community Credit Union. During this year the bond was extended to allow any resident of the Tweed, Richmond or Brunswick Valleys to become a member without the requirement to hold shares in the B.G.F.
The magazine Directions (October 1993 issue) ran a short profile of the credit union and the General Manager Graham Robinson said “Recent extensive research has confirmed that our philosophy of community involvement and quality service to members has been very successful”. In October 1993 the member numbers were reported as 20,198 and the assets were given as $64 million.
By 1994 - 1995 the main office was at 2-4 Commercial Street Murwillumbah and branches were conducted at Lismore, Mullumbimby, Tweed Heads, Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay and Cabarita Beach.
On 1 July 1997 the Credit Union was re-named Southern Cross Credit Union Limited. In an article in the magazine Directions, (February 1997 issue) General Manager Peter Iwanuscha talks about the impending name change. He outlined that as the operations have grown to include members more geographically dispersed, so the name needed to be more reflective of this and “Southern Cross takes in universally the whole of the North Coast (of NSW). To us Southern Cross is Australia”. The credit union stills operates today under the same name.
