NEW YORK, April 27, 2009 — The Bank of New York Mellon, the global leader in asset management and securities servicing, has been selected by Commonwealth Bank of Australia Limited (CBA) as the depositary bank for its American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. Each CBA ADR represents one ordinary share. The ADRs trade on the over-the-counter market under the symbol "CMWAY." CBA's ordinary shares trade on the Australian Securities Exchange under the symbol "CBA."

Commonwealth Bank of Australia provides integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, brokering services and finance company activities. CBA's principal activities consist of retail banking services, premium business services, wealth management, and international financial services.

"Since 1993, The Bank of New York Mellon has acted as depositary for our 144A DR program that makes available restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers," said Warwick Bryant, executive general manager of Investor Relations of CBA. "We have been so pleased with their expertise and superior level of service that when we decided to establish an over-the-counter DR program, The Bank of New York Mellon was the logical choice."

"We are delighted to be expanding our existing relationship with CBA and adding value by introducing a variety of investor outreach initiatives," said Michael Cole-Fontayn, chief executive officer of The Bank of New York Mellon's Depositary Receipt Division. "We look forward to helping CBA gain greater name recognition in the U.S. investment community."

The Bank of New York Mellon acts as depositary for more than 1,300 sponsored American and global depositary receipt programs, working in partnership with leading companies from 64 countries. With an unrivalled commitment to helping securities issuers succeed in the world's rapidly evolving financial markets, the Company delivers the industry's most comprehensive suite of integrated depositary receipt, corporate trust and stock transfer services. Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com/dr.

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $19.5 trillion in assets under custody and administration, $881 billion in assets under management, services more than $11 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.8 trillion per day. Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.

This release is for informational purposes only. The Bank of New York Mellon provides no advice, recommendation, or endorsement with respect to any company or securities. Nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Depositary Receipts: Not FDIC, State or Federal Agency Insured; May Lose Value; No Bank, State or Federal Agency Guarantee.