What will life on the Sunshine Coast look like in 2050? Will social media still exist? Will mobile phones remain hand-held? Will fast trains link Maroochydore to Brisbane?
These questions formed the heart of a Sunshine Coast time capsule event held on Mooloolaba Esplanade earlier this month.
Mayor Rosanna Natoli joined former Maroochy Shire mayor Don Culley and property developer Graeme Juniper to add items to the capsule, which will be reopened in 25 years.
Each contributor added personal letters with their hopes for the future, alongside a collection of items reflecting life on the Coast in 2025, including photographs on a USB, a tourism brochure, a Mooloolaba Surf Club menu, a copy of the January 2 edition of My Weekly Preview, a bottle of Beachtree gin and promotional material for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The time capsule itself has a long history. First buried in 2000, it contained a snapshot of the Sunshine Coast at the turn of the millennium — from T-bone meals costing $3.95 at bowls clubs to beachfront homes selling for $219,000.
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Cr Natoli said the capsule offered a chance to reflect on the region’s rapid growth while imagining its future.
“It’s so important to look back and also look forward, recognising how quickly our region is changing, and expressing our hopes and dreams,” she said.
Looking ahead to 2050, Cr Natoli said she hoped the Sunshine Coast, projected to reach almost 600,000 residents, remained a connected, liveable, and thriving community.
“My great hope is we will have a world-class transport system, pristine beaches and waterways, lush hinterlands, and our Glass House Mountains still standing tall as a reminder of what it means to be a Sunshine Coast local,” she said.
The 2025 capsule joins the original 2000 contents, including historic photos, a bottle of Tyrell’s Fine Old Tawny Port, a stamp collection, and heartfelt letters from former mayor Culley. It will remain sealed until 2050.
