Former Schoolchildren Reunite in Adelaide to Open Time Capsule After 40 Years

A group of former schoolchildren who buried a time capsule in 1985 have reunited exactly 40 years later to crack open the contents. Telstra, at the time known as Telecom, organised the time capsule in Adelaide, South Australia, to celebrate the company's then-10 year anniversary. The telco giant, with the help of 9news.com.au, tracked down all of the original 10 children – now adults approaching their 50th birthday – and held an event to open the time capsule.

Inside were Polaroid photos, a copy of The Australian and The Advertiser newspapers from July 1, 1985, birthday cards, an old Australian Telecommunications Commission Book and a note from John Huston, a Telecom worker who helped with the project. Vicki Nuske, one of the schoolchildren in the photo, said she always wondered what happened to the time capsule she helped bury. \"It was always in the back of my mind – every birthday I thought I'm one year closer to opening the time capsule,\" she said. \"I did not think we'd have the mobile phones we have now. The technology we have today has surpassed anything I could have imagined back then.\"

David Kyriacou was also aged 10 at the time and was tickled to see what was inside and reunite with his former peers. \"I vaguely remember writing a letter of some sort – hopefully it was a prediction of the future,\" he said. \"It's fantastic we're all here again and can all catch up.\" The contents of the buried box also offered a fascinating glimpse into how technology has evolved over the past four decades.

At the time in 1985, many Australians still relied on rotary-dial landlines, the internet was yet to reach most homes, and fax machine and VCR tapes were common household items. \"In that era, they had the landline, they were using payphones… it wasn't until two years later that the first mobile handset came out,\" Telstra regional general manager Michael Patterson told 9news.com.au earlier this year. \"We've since had the invention of social media, we've got artificial intelligence.\"

Telstra launched a nationwide hunt for the children in the photo in April. Following publication of a 9news.com.au article, multiple people came forward after recognising themselves in the old snap. \"Thanks to the support of everyday Aussies and media outlets across the country, the story gained momentum and, one by one, all ten of the original kids came forward,\" a spokesperson for Telstra said today.