A snapshot of life on the Sunshine Coast in 2025 has been preserved in a time capsule, which includes a copy of My Weekly Preview (issue 840,January 2 this year).
Set to be opened in 25 years’ time, it begs several questions: will social media still exist? Will mobile phones still be hand-held? Will fast trains link Maroochydore to Brisbane?
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli joined former Maroochy Shire mayor Don Culley and business identity Graeme Juniper on Mooloolaba Esplanade on December 2 to add personal letters with their hopes for the future.
Other items placed in the capsule included images, a tourism brochure, surf club menu, locally distilled gin and a ‘Seven Years to Go’ Brisbane 2032 Olympics badge.
The capsule was first buried in 2000 and was unearthed earlier this year.
It captured a time when a T-bone meal cost $3.95, a four-bedroom beachfront home cost $219,000 and Fridays were for video nights. It included historic newspapers, a stamp collection, port and photos.
Mayor Natoli says the next 25 years will define the Sunshine Coast, projected to reach almost 600,000 residents by 2050.
“The Sunshine Coast isn’t just a place – it’s a feeling,” she says.
“That’s our true legacy for the future: creating a region and community where everyone feels seen, supported and inspired to contribute.”
The mayor also has hopes for: the preservation of pristine beaches and waterways and a lush hinterland; world-class transport; vibrant city centres; and the Olympics to deliver everything hoped for.
The time capsule will be reopened in 2050, offering a glimpse into the past, balanced with what the Coast community’s hopes were for the future.
