A remarkable discovery has been made during conservation work at the Cape Bruny Lighthouse. A 122-year-old message in a bottle, hidden within a wall cavity of the historic lantern room, has resurfaced offering a direct link to Tasmania’s maritime past.
Recognising its historical significance, we worked with conservators from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) to extract the contents of the bottle, which paints the picture of the works that happened at the site in 1903.
The bottle was found by a specialist painter who was treating rust in the lighthouse.
He was chipping away at a particularly bad section of rust in the wall. When he looked closer, he could see that there was something in the wall. Once removed, he could see that it was a message in a bottle.
Cape Bruny lighhouse - location of the bottle in the wall
Photo: Brian Painter
Painter Brian Burfod showing where he found the bottle
The bottle was brought to Hobart where specialist conservators from TMAG were able to open and extract the message.
After identifying that the bottle was sealed with a cork dipped in bitumen, the conservation team carefully considered the best method to preserve both the bottle and its contents.
TMAG Conservator of Objects, Irene Finkelde and Michelle Berry carefully cut through the bitumen layer and cork, successfully detaching it from the glass.
With the cork removed and the bottle open, TMAG Conservator of Paper, Cobus Van Breda had the challenge of extracting the message. While the paper appeared to be in good condition, there was still risk of damage to the message while navigating it through the neck of the bottle. The contents were successfully removed and revealed to be an envelope with a two page letter inside.
Removing bitumen cap - Cape Bruny lighthouse message in a bottle
Photo: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Removing cork - message in a bottle
Photo: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Extracting the letter
Photo: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Once removed, it was found to be an envelope with a letter date 29 January 1903.
The letter was written by engineer J.R Meech, who was the Hobart Marine Board’s Inspector of Lighthouses. He supervised the planning, construction and operation of lighthouses and leading lights around the Tasmanian coast including Cape Bruny, Cape Sorell, Maatsuyker, Tasman Island, Table Cape and Mersey Bluff.
James Robert Meech
The letter details the installation of a new iron spiral staircase, replacing an old wooden one, the replacement of a wooden floor with a concrete one and the replacement of the lantern room.
The bottle was placed behind the last plate to be installed lining the lantern room on January 29, 1903.
The letter also lists the new flash sequence for the lighthouse with three seconds of light and nineteen and a half seconds of eclipse (darkness). This was significantly different to the previous lighthouse which was 50 seconds of light then 50 seconds of eclipse.
This project cost the Marine Board £2,200 which in today’s money is $473,900 AUD.
The letter ends with a list of light keepers.
Cape Bruny Lighthouse message envelope
Cape Bruny Lighthouse message page 1
Cape Bruny Lighthouse message page 2
PWS Manager for Historic Heritage Annita Waghorn said the message was in remarkably good condition despite its age as it was sealed up safe from the elements.
“You could feel the excitement in the room when the letter came out in one piece,” Ms Waghorn said.
“Collaboration with organisations such as TMAG are an essential part of bringing Tasmania’s history to life. This letter gives us an insight into the works that happened at the lighthouse and the people who undertook this work.
“This information adds to the rich history of Bruny Island and the Cape Bruny Lighthouse.”
TMAG then undertook further conservation work using a humidification process to gently relax and rehydrate the paper fibres to help flatten the paper. There are plans for it to be displayed to the public in the future. The location of this display is yet to be determined.
Read more about the Cape Bruny lighthouse on our webpage.