Erana Peeti-Webber and Ron Wallace sift through the contents of the capsule. Photo / Leanne Warr
Members of the Dannevirke community got a glimpse of the past with the unveiling of a time capsule buried 25 years ago.
The capsule, buried in 1997 by then Tararua District Mayor Bill Bly, was placed near the railway station in Dannevirke.
It was buried on the 125th anniversary and an old article from the Dannevirke Evening News noted it was during the enactment of the arrival of Scandinavian pioneers.
“They were watched by the ‘settlers’ and a number of spectators.”
The capsule was meant to be revealed on the 150th anniversary, celebrated in October, but there was a problem with that, Deputy Mayor Erana Peeti-Webber related to the 45 people gathered.
“We didn’t realise there was a time capsule.”
She said council records from 1997 hadn’t been that great and there was no reminder of the time capsule, which had been buried in Hall St.
A Norway maple was also planted nearby, along with a plaque to commemorate the occasion.
Peeti-Webber said it had been “a bit elusive” and while she had researched minutes of meetings and talked to a few people, it wasn’t until she looked through a copy of a Dannevirke Evening News paper from the time that she was able to get a better idea of its location and what was in it.
The contents were still intact, having been tightly sealed in a plastic tube and included two copies of the Dannevirke Evening News, phone directories, photographs, promotional booklets and messages from the mayor.
Peeti-Webber spoke at this week’s community board meeting, saying a working group should be set up to discuss the next steps.
She said she had asked for suggestions from the community on what to put in a new time capsule.
There had also been a suggestion to put the 25-year-old time capsule back along with its contents, to be buried alongside the new capsule.
The community board will meet again in February.
About 20% of incidents in the Tararua District result in infringements being issued.