TOWERS FAMILY -HISTORY UNFOLDS: FROM TRUNK TO INDEX –
One year on stories from the past previously not told.
Mary Altschwager has been joined by Graeme Richardson in researching the history of the Tower’s family and
they have meticulously carried out the research unearthing many stories, photographs and treasures. Since Mary
first delved into the trunk and started researching Tom Towers some two years ago a lot more history has been
unearthed indexed and discussed. Graeme who is also a volunteer at the Local History Centre has joined Mary
and started opening up the treasures from another trunk and the Towers writing desk and finds the stories both
intriguing and adding to and embellishing the original stories of the past.
Mary spoke about Tom Towers at a Local History afternoon last year and now has many
more stories to tell. She has unearthed many stories about Tom Towers who was born in
Millicent and was killed in the First World War. Mary traces his story through letters,
postcards, newspaper reports, photographs and local information much of which has been
unearthed in trunks and desks belonging to the late Bruce Towers who never threw away
anything. As Mary and Graeme delved into the desk and other trunks the stories of the Tower’s family and
relatives and the early pioneers of the District become linked and beckoned them to undertake further research.
Following the passing of renowned historian Bruce Towers many of his treasured records came to the Millicent
Library and found a home in the Towers History Collection. This impressive collection has yielded many
interesting facts and untold stories as volunteers delve into the past. What treasures were to be discovered and
over the years they have indexed, copied, collected, interpreted but it is just the tip of the iceberg!
Bruce’s treasures came to the library locked away in trunks and writing desk and remained almost untouched
until the collection was moved to the compactus and the discoveries commenced.
Deciding to unlock the trunk and delve into the past has unearthed many treasures: initially it was just Mary
Altschwager who spent countless hours, days and months unfolding the treasures, deciphering and reproducing
the history, identifying who was in photographs, tracing the family history, and gaining an insight into the Towers
family. As she prepared for her first speech Mary enlisted the assistance of fellow volunteers Graeme Richardson
and Loreto Cataldi and they carefully compiled the history, the family tree, identifying people in old
photographs, they traced the story in particular of Tom Towers who was killed in action in World War One. This
previously untold story is but one of the treasures that Mary and her team have unfolded.
Such was the history and mystery that Graeme turned his energy and research into discovering more about the
Tower’s family and together Mary and Graeme have compiled an exciting collection of stories, photographs,
correspondences, accounts and miscellaneous materials. They even have a copy of wills, invoices and private
letters and legal documents all kept and collected by the late Bruce Towers.
Research has been supported by information from key online data bases the War Memorial indexes, TROVE the
National Library Data Base, Ancestory.com and indexes, photographs and bibliographies found in the Local History
Collection.
Join us Tuesday 29th October at 10:30 for an hour of stories, tales
and be enthralled as the story unfolds. At the Towers Local History
Room for a morning of History celebrating our great past and
preserving our history for future generations.