By Ethan Benedicto
The Narre Warren North time capsule, with over 35 containers of documents, items and memorabilia from the year 2000, was pulled from the ground on Saturday, 15 March.
Unearthing 25 years of history is a feat that not many can say they’ve done, but with the 2000s Narre Warren North community having that foresight, the residents had more than a few things to look forward to.
The Narre Warren North Community Association’s president, Michael Allday, said that the whole day has been “fantastic”.
“The excitement has been building up for the last 12 months, I suppose, since when this first happened in 2000, it was massive.
“We downsized it to make it an eventful day, but there’s history here now, and I think everybody’s enjoyed the day and are looking forward to the event in 27 years’ time,” he said.
In 27 years, the Narre Warren North Primary School will be celebrating its 175th anniversary, something that the association felt would be a fitting tribute to the area’s history if the next batch was also opened then.
The event kicked off at 11am, when an excavator dug under the placard and revealed a roughly two-and-a-half-metre deep hole, chock-full of containers; it was then that the excitement grew.
There were over 150 people in attendance, with many having a direct relation to the items that were buried years ago.
To Allday, that’s what it was all about.
“Those people, they might not be here these days, but their memories are, which is what we’re celebrating here and what Narre Warren North was back then,” he said.
“It’s still a country town; it’s grown a little bit, but it’s still celebrated very well. The community is strong, very strong, and we’re always happy to help each other out when we can.”
Once the containers were excavated, they were moved, one by one, into the Narre Warren North Hall.
Inside, empty tables were set up, and representatives of the group, people or persons the containers were from, took to unveiling their contents.
It didn’t take long for the hall to become an impromptu museum, with items such as letters, old yearbooks, pictures, memorandums, and memorabilia open for display.
The City of Casey’s councillors were also in attendance, with Mayor Stefan Koomen, Deputy Mayor Melinda Ambros, and Grevillea Ward Councillor Dave Perry mingling with the crowd.
Perry said that “it’s amazing that the community has managed to keep this and have their calendar open for it”.
“The lady who I was speaking with earlier, she was my old neighbour’s daughter, he passed away 10 years ago and I had no idea he put a container in,” he said.
The man Perry spoke of was Colin Baxter, a local historian and aficionado, as well as a revered wheat-weaving artist.
The container, which his daughter Vicki had opened, held items such as weaved wheat figures, letters, and other documents related to Colin’s life.
Koomen said that it was “so good” to see so many people turning up.
“People who were here 25 years ago putting these buckets in, and then also the next generation who are putting their buckets in now, it’s great to see,” he said.
“It’s all about the community and that sense of identity, bringing people together, I love it.
“It’s going to be great to look back today on what was happening 27 years ago; it gives that connection to the past, and you see it here, connecting generations,” he said.
Unfortunately, some containers had moisture damage, and even paper items that were ziploc-ed had been stained.
Nevertheless, this did little to discourage onlookers and representatives, as it only added to the novelty of their history.
For Ambros, being present had a more sentimental value, as she realised that one of the containers was home to pieces of her primary school years.
“We gathered to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and soon leave a legacy for those who will stand in our place 27 years from now,” she said.
“On a personal note, it’s incredible to see pieces of my own history here, the school I attended, the sample student diary I once used and the school yearbook filled with familiar names.”
Local state members were also present, with South-Eastern Metropolitan members Michael Galea and Ann-Marie Hermans eagerly moving from one table to another.
In addition to Baxter’s pieces, there were containers from the CFA, the local Uniting Church, and the former Narre Warren Station Primary School, which closed in 2001 and relocated to Hillsmeade Primary.
Some pieces came from closer to the city, with a container dedicated to MONSU and the Monash University Student Union, which held flyers, magazines, and other letters from 25 years ago.
Angela a former teacher of Narre Warren Station Primary, alongside Liezle, a parent of a student who went there, both said that “the experience is astounding”.
“We recognised the name of a child that she (Angela) taught all that time ago, and it just came flooding back,” they said.
“Time capsules really are amazing, but just to recognise the child, that’s very encouraging and it’s really a great thing.”
The next batch of containers has not yet been placed, with the Association and Allday saying that time was needed for the families and people related to the containers to savour the moments.
Despite having no specific date, the new capsule is expected to come in the next few weeks.
