Bottle stashed in wall cavity of heritage-listed Cape Bruny lighthouse contained letter written in 1903 by Tasmanian lighthouse inspector
A painter in Tasmania has uncovered a sealed glass bottle containing a message that was hidden within a wall cavity of the historic Cape Bruny lighthouse more than 120 years ago.
Specialist painter Brian Burford was performing routine maintenance on the seaside structure when the discovery took place, according to Annita Waghorn, historic heritage manager for the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.
“While he was working inside the lantern room – which is the room at the top of the lighthouse where the lens and lightening mechanism is – dealing with some rust and corrosion, he popped through into the wall cavity,” Waghorn said.
It was then that something in the cavity caught Burford’s eye, “glinting” in the light.
