Peter Brinkworth (Caltowie)
While researching the life of my great-grandfather, Ernst Siekmann, a mid-north store owner and corn factor, and an original settler in Caltowie, I consulted the Caltowie town historian, Doug Henderson. I wanted to find out more about my great-grandfather’s life there. Doug showed me a copy of the Golden Jubilee Booklet which was produced in 1929 as part of the town’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Caltowie Institute. In it there was a picture of the Original Trustees and Committee of the Institute. Top left was Ernst (a Trustee), in the centre, Oscar Laurenti (President) and on the centre right Thomas Williams (Chairman of the Institute Committee).
At Doug’s suggestion, I visited the Northern Areas Council in Jamestown to find out from the Rates Book where Ernst had lived during his time in Caltowie. I discovered that his house was still there (Lot 7), but more surprising, I found that the actual silver trowel used by Ernst’s wife Mary Siekmann (née Brinkworth) to lay the foundation stone of the Caltowie Institute was on display in a glass case at the entrance to the Council building. I was delighted to know that this historical item continued to be preserved for posterity. The reason for the choice of Mary as the layer of the foundation stone was probably that Ernst was the foundation Chairman of the Caltowie Council and thus the leading citizen of the town at the time.