Letters to 2050: capsule holds hopes for future
Find out about the extraordinary moment in history as we buried a time capsule that has sent a special message to the Sunshine Coast in 2050!
Will social media still exist? Will mobile phones still be hand-held? Does anyone carry cash? Will people be catching fast trains from Maroochydore to Brisbane? What did the world make of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games? The best ever?
A snapshot of life on the Sunshine Coast in 2025 is captured in time - to be revealed in 25 years - when a time capsule will be re-opened.
Mayor Rosanna Natoli joined former Maroochy Shire Council Mayor Don Culley and business identity Graeme Juniper along Mooloolaba Esplanade on December 2 for the event.
They each added to the capsule personal letters with their wishes for the future, alongside images, a tourism brochure, surf club menu, bottle of locally distilled gin, news magazine and a Seven Years to Go badge (Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games). See full list below.
The capsule was first buried in 2000 and unearthed amid much fanfare earlier this year.
The original contents captured a time when you could get a T-bone meal for $3.95 at a bowls club, a four-bedroom beachfront home cost $219,000, you could rent a two-bedroom unit at Alexandra Headland for $115 per week and Friday night was video night - if there were any copies of Notting Hill left on the shelf.
Also included were copies of the Sunshine Coast Daily (Friday, December 31, 1999, and Saturday, January 1, 2000 editions), a Celebrate 2000 stamp collection, a bottle of Tyrell’s ‘Toast to the Coast 2000’ Fine Old Tawny Port and a selection of historic photos.
Soaring into a bright future
Mayor Natoli said there was no doubt that the next quarter of a century would be defining for the Sunshine Coast.
“It’s so important to look back and also look forward, taking the time to recognise how quickly our region is changing and evolving, and express our hopes and dreams,” Mayor Natoli said.
“The time capsule from 2000 provided a fascinating insight into how much we have grown, and it will be amazing to see what life and our surroundings are like when it is reopened in 2050.”
Mayor Natoli said she hoped the Sunshine Coast, projected to have a population of almost 600,000 by 2050, remained somewhere we were all proud to call home – connected, liveable and thriving.
“The Sunshine Coast isn’t just a place - it’s a feeling. That’s our true legacy for the future, creating a region and community where everyone feels seen, supported and inspired to contribute,” she said.
“Hopefully, the Olympics delivered everything we had hoped for and more, Nambour is a bustling heart of the hinterland, and the Maroochydore City Centre will be a vibrant business, civic, cultural and residential hub,” Mayor Natoli said.
“My great hope is we will have a world-class transport system that allows us to move around more freely, our beaches and waterways will still be pristine, our forests and hinterland will still be lush and cool escapes, and our Glass House Mountains will still stand tall as a reminder of what it means to be a Sunshine Coast local.
“Here’s to a bright future!’’
The time capsule is due to be reopened in 2050.
Contents of timecapsule
2000 Inventory:
- Sunshine Coast Daily 31 December 1999
- Sunshine Coast Daily 1 January 2000 headlined "Party Time" and "Age of imagination"
- Heartfelt letters from Mayor Culley and Mr Juniper
- Commemorative Coin Set dedicated to the International Year of Older Persons
- A bottle of Tyrell’s Toast to the Coast 2000 Fine Old Tawny Port
- Celebrate 2000 stamp collection
- Important photos from our region
- Selection of tourism brochures
- Clippings from The Sunday Mail business section, promoting the Sunshine Coast as “the place to invest" in the new century
2025 Inventory
| 2025 Inventory | Background |
| Media Release from January 2025 | Media release dated 2 January 2025 marked the unveiling of the Millennium Time Capsule, buried in the year 2000. It posed the question: What were our hopes for 2025? This event invited reflection on whether the dreams and predictions of the past came true as the capsule was unearthed, offering a unique glimpse into the aspirations of a new millennium. |
| Media release from December 2025 | The media release dated 2 December 2025 has been placed in the time capsule to serve as a record of the event and its significance for future generations. Its inclusion ensures that, when the capsule is opened in 2050, people can reflect on the priorities, achievements, and aspirations captured at that moment in time. This document provides context for the milestone we celebrated and invites comparison between the vision of 2025 and the reality of 2050, creating a lasting link between past intentions and future outcomes. |
| Beachtree Gin | Australia’s Most Awarded Organic Distillery. Crafted from scratch on the Sunshine Coast. Twice named World’s Best Craft Producer (2024 & 2025) and World’s Best Sustainable Distillery (2025), Beachtree is globally recognized for innovation, purity, and purpose. Organic and naturally gluten-free, our spirits contain no additives, flavours, oils, or preservatives, just clean, honest taste that captures the true spirit of Australia. Proud First Nations supplier and a playful nod to the current gin trend, contrasting with the tradition of port in the year 2000. |
| Important photos from our region | An assortment of photographs from across the Sunshine Coast region, curated to showcase landscapes, communities, and development. These images provide a visual record for future generations to reflect on and compare the growth and transformation of the area over time. |
| USB of photos | The photos are stored on a USB stick as a tribute to today’s technology. |
| Green and Gold Runway cap | Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games promotion material. |
| 7 Years To Go badge | Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games promotion material - 7 Years to go until 2032 as Mayor Rosanna Natoli is a current Board Member. |
| Paris 2024 hand waver | Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games promotion material. |
| Biosphere hand waver | This hand waiver represents the Sunshine Coast Biosphere - Council’s commitment to a sustainable future. It symbolises a way of life that values caring for our environment, building thriving communities, and growing a resilient local economy. |
| My Weekly Preview Issue 840 2 January 2025 | My Weekly Preview is a 100% locally owned magazine, proudly reflecting the Sunshine Coast community. Delivered fresh every Thursday, it embodies the spirit of living local every day. Committed to sustainability, all home-delivered copies are wrapped in biodegradable plastic, showcasing how environmental responsibility was embraced in publishing during this era. |
| SC Daily January 10-12 2025 | The Sunshine Coast Daily is an online newspaper specifically serving the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland, Australia. It is owned by News Corp Australia and is available by print weekly. |
| SCC Heritage Calendar 2025 | The 2025 Heritage Calendar celebrates Sunshine Coast Sports Through the Ages, featuring treasured sporting memories from 1914 to 1983. Thanks to community contributions, it showcases iconic moments such as sack races in Kenilworth, tunnel ball, a wheelbarrow derby through Nambour’s streets, soccer, surf lifesaving, show jumping, and more, capturing the region’s vibrant sporting history. |
| Visit Sunshine Coast Insider’s Guide booklet | Packed with inspiring imagery, bite-sized insights, and local recommendations, this guide reflects how travellers in 2025 planned their Sunshine Coast adventures. |
| Mooloolaba Surf Club Menu & menu flyer | The Surf Club Mooloolaba represents the ultimate Sunshine Coast beachfront dining experience of this era. Guests could enjoy a cold beer, a glass of bubbles, lunch, or dinner while overlooking stunning ocean views. The venue featured two signature spaces. The Boathouse Restaurant & Bar with its open deck, and the Bayview Restaurant & Bar on level two both offering some of the best coastal vistas. |
| 5 cent coin | The coin represents the smallest denomination in Australia as of 2025. The five-cent coin was first introduced on 14 February 1966 with the adoption of decimal currency, making it a symbolic link between Australia’s monetary history and the present day. |
| Heartfelt letters from Don Culley, Graeme Juniper and Mayor Rosanna Natoli | Letters to the future, 2050. They were included the original capsule from when Don Culley was Mayor, along with contributions from Graeme Juniper. |
| Medal from the Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM | Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, sworn in as Queensland’s 27th Governor on 1 November 2021, visited Mooloolaba and presented a medal to Graeme Juniper. This moment reflects the Governor’s engagement with local communities and recognition of individual contributions. |
| A bottle of Tyrell’s Toast to the Coast 2000 Fine Old Tawny Port | These items were from the original Time Capsule and serve as an ode to the past. These items were from the original Time Capsule and serve as an ode to the past. |
| Sunshine Coast Daily 31 December 1999 | |
| Sunshine Coast Daily 1 January 2000 headlined "Party Time" and "Age of imagination" | |
| Heartfelt letters from Mayor Culley and Mr Juniper |