Byron and Michelle Keegan with Oska (1) and the capsule, and (right) what was inside.
Camera IconByron and Michelle Keegan with Oska (1) and the capsule, and (right) what was inside. Credit: Supplied/Supplied, Bruce Hunt������� www.communitypix.com.au d469987

Midland couple gets message from the past

Lisa ThomasMidland Kalamunda Reporter

Michelle and Byron Keegan, who bought the circa-1905 railway worker’s cottage two years ago, found an old kitchen chimney last week which had been blocked out.

After taking off the roof sheets that were covering it, Mr Keegan said he looked inside and found a newspaper and a plastic bag at the bottom of the chimney.

“I thought it was kind of odd,” he said.

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“When I knocked off the render and began knocking out the blockwork, I took care to make sure that I wasn’t going to damage the newspaper and it was then that I found the time capsule in the plastic bag.”

Mr Keegan said inside the plastic bag he found a red cognac box, with a note taped to the front explaining it was a time capsule sealed on May 23, 1987.

“Inside the time capsule was a copy of The Midland Reporter dated May 19, 1987, a 50c and a 1c piece, and a letter from the previous owners titled ‘To the future generation’ which gave a brief history of the previous owners and their journey to Australia from Italy in the ’50s,” he said.

“We realised after opening the time capsule that we had opened it almost exactly 30 years to the day after it was sealed.”

Mr Keegan said that by coincidence one of his friends had noticed the family’s name and had made contact with the grandson of the previous owner.

He said he planned to send a copy of the letter by email to the family so they could retain part of their history.

“We are going to get The Midland Reporter newspaper front page and the letter from the time capsule framed and keep them in the room on the wall,” he said.

“It’s a nice piece of history in the house’s long life and I think it would be nice to keep the story with the house.”

Mr Keegan said the find had made him and his family consider creating their own time capsule.

“It was a nice surprise for Michelle and I and given the long history of the house, it would be nice to put something back in the house for future generations and owners to discover,” he said.

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