General News
1 March, 2024
Clock ticking in hunt for lost time capsule
Sheep Hills Reunion committee members are facing a hiccup in their plans to commemorate 40 years since the school closed.
Sheep Hills Reunion committee members are facing a hiccup in their plans to commemorate 40 years since the school closed.
The March 9-10 weekend event was to include the opening of a time capsule - an important part of the celebrations - but its location is unknown.
And time is fast running out.
Reunion committee member Ian Penny said there were suggestions the capsule might have been buried near the flagpole or the front gate.
"We've tried a gold detector," Mr Penny said.
"But if there's no coins in the capsule and it's in PVC piping, a detector won't help find it.
"We're about at the point where we might have to get out the shovels and do a lot of digging."
Any record of the capsule's burial site is feared lost, as the school building is long gone.
Its year of burial is also uncertain, but thought to be either during national centenary celebrations in 1977, or when the school closed in 1984.
Mr Penny said a large crowd was expected at the reunion, which will start with a meet-and-greet, followed by tea catered by a Warracknabeal service club.
The weekend will include the unveiling of a school-site plaque to mark its opening in 1877 and closure in 1984.
There will also be a cemetery walk on the Sunday.
Mr Penny said the committee was in the process of contacting past students as their addresses became available.