A peek at Melton’s past

Descendents of a pioneering Melton family helped open a time capsule last week in a celebration of 25 years of history.

Members of the Pinkerton family were on hand last Wednesday to open the capsule containing photos and documents provided by community members involved in two local projects in 1992.

The capsule was placed at the site of the Pinkerton family memorial cairn on November 8, 1992, to mark the culmination of the Surbiton Park and Pinkerton Forest projects.

Melton council acquired Surbiton Park, a 400-hectare property adjacent to the Melton Wastewater Purification Plant, for recycling wastewater and sewage.

The rejuvenation of that land was known as the Surbiton Park project, with the relocation of graves known as the Pinkerton Forest project.

Melton mayor Bob Turner said that the face of the community had changed significantly in the past 25 years.

“Through the items included in this time capsule, we have the chance to better understand what things were like back then,” Cr Turner said.

The council collected contemporary documents that capture the essence of the municipality for a new time capsule that was placed in the cairn. It will be opened in 2042.

“When we buried the new time capsule, preserving current information, images, newspapers, and messages for future generations, I couldn’t help but wonder what future generations will think of us, and how much things will have changed in 25 years,” Cr Turner said.