On February 17, 1901, the streets of Sydney were packed with people, all craning their necks in anticipation.
One by one, they wore smiles, occasionally looking toward the government and Arthur with eyes full of gratitude.
At the very front of the crowd, a building that had undergone some simple renovations now bore the sign of the Australian Royal Bank. It officially opened for business today.
A simple bank opening could never have attracted so many people to watch and show their support. What truly brought them here one after another was a policy Arthur announced alongside the bank's opening: every Australian family could obtain an unconditional loan of up to two hundred pounds from the Royal Bank, and could use their own assets as collateral to obtain an equivalent loan of up to one thousand pounds.
Combined, the two types of loans allowed each household to obtain a maximum loan of twelve hundred pounds.
Even in the prosperous heartland of the wealthy British Empire, this was a sum that only high-income families could afford to save.
For some people, this money could very well change their fate, becoming the starting capital that turned them into small entrepreneurs or even rising stars of the business world.
Of course, for the vast majority of people, simply using the funds to purchase more land, increase their family's income, and improve their lives would already be the best possible outcome.
The interest on the loans was very low, so low that it was practically negligible. As a result, many people intended to take out a loan.
At ten in the morning, amid the respectful and fervent gazes of the crowd, Arthur slowly arrived by carriage, with Butler Hunter and several guards following behind him.
With Arthur's arrival, the scene gradually quieted down as