This kind of news makes me happy because it reinforces my belief that history will never stop surprising us. The same must have been thought by the painter and restorer Brian Burford when he made this completely fortuitous discovery. It was in 2025, when working at the Cape Bruny Lighthouse in Tasmania, that he found a sealed glass bottle with a message inside. It contained a message dated January 29, 1903, from J.R. Meech, the inspector responsible for verifying the operation and condition of the lighthouses in the area at the beginning of the 20th century.
Due to the difficulty of opening it, it was transferred to Hobart, to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG), where special care was taken in preserving the paper. The authorities of Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service have considered this finding as evidence that sheds light on Tasmania’s maritime history, and a public exhibition of the letter is anticipated so that both the public and other researchers can have access to it.
The Cape Bruny lighthouse
Located at the southern tip of Bruny Island, in Tasmania, Australia, the Cape Bruny lighthouse was first lit in 1838. It is currently inactive but was in operation for 150 years. In 1996, a solar lighthouse was installed, leading to its decommissioning. Today, it stands as a monument of the historical and cultural heritage of the island, serving as a subject of study that reveals information about navigation practices in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Finding at the lighthouse
In 2025, the restorer and painter Brian Burford was tasked with refurbishing the Cape Bruny lighthouse. While carrying out his work and after removing part of the interior cladding from one of the walls, he discovered a sealed glass bottle. Although it seems like the beginning of a maritime adventure, it is a true story. It was a short-necked, wide-bottomed bottle, sealed with a cork stopper covered in pitch. A piece of paper enclosed inside was visible, but Burford was not aware of its significance and historical value.
What was inside the bottle?
The difficulty in opening the bottle led to its transfer to Hobart, at the Tasmania Museum and Art Gallery, where it was opened. The interior contained a letter dated January 29, 1903, signed by the inspector responsible for the operation and maintenance of the lighthouse, J.R. Meech. The letter describes the work that had been carried out at the lighthouse, such as the replacement of the spiral staircase, the installation of a concrete floor, and the change in the light flashing cycle, which shifted from 50 seconds of darkness to 3 seconds of light followed by 19 and a half seconds of darkness.
It also detailed the names of the workers involved, turning it into a detailed report of the technical and administrative details of the lighthouse. The cost of the work was also recorded as 2,200 pounds, which reinforces the theory that a large-scale project took place in 1903 that enhanced navigation safety along its coasts.
Plans for the future
The letter has already been cataloged, photographed, and digitized to ensure its preservation and accessibility to interested members of the public and researchers. It is also expected that the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service will incorporate it into one of its exhibitions open to the public. These types of findings reconnect the population with their heritage, historical, and cultural legacy, and expand knowledge about the history of the island, beyond the major events.
