Charters Towers · Goldtower Central
Michael Brumby
For twenty-five years Michael Brumby kept the record of Charters Towers — and much of the history behind Goldtower Central is his gift to us.
The story
For twenty-five years Michael Brumby kept the record of Charters Towers — and much of the history behind Goldtower Central is his gift to us.
The keeper of Charters Towers' history
Michael Brumby served as the archivist and a published author for the Charters Towers region for a quarter of a century. From 2003 he led the town's archive in the restored Excelsior Library, building a collection so complete it can answer questions about Charters Towers and its surrounds in more than 97 per cent of cases. Along the way he wrote over a dozen books on the town — its churches, its roads, its mines and its people — including 150 Years of Local Government Charters Towers. He retired in 2021, leaving behind one of regional Queensland's finest local archives.
With our thanks
The heritage that gives Goldtower Central its name and character didn't come from nowhere. So much of the historical detail behind this site — the records, the photographs, the stories of the gold-rush years — was drawn from the archive Michael built and the knowledge he so generously shared. He was fundamental to piecing that history together, and this page is a small thank-you for a lifetime spent making sure Charters Towers never forgets where it came from.
See it in person
You’ll find Michael Brumby among the attractions of Goldtower Central, in the heart of Charters Towers — open air, and always free to explore.