Time almost up for Robertson Park time capsule buried by Orange Lions

Marking the resting place of a time capsule made in 1973 but buried in 1974 by service group Orange Lions, the rock features an inscription plaque stating the capsule will be exhumed on June 29 next year.

Apart from what the capsule, which is close to two metres in height, will reveal, one of the mysteries surrounding it is why the proposed unearthing date is 2023 instead of 2024, which would make a neat half-century.

Orange Lions acting secretary Peter Fuge said the current cohort of Orange Lions would stick by the proposed unearthing date as per the inscription's instruction but admitted the members aren't sure what to expect.

Mr Fuge said he was unaware of any surviving club members from the time the capsule plan was conceived and his club is yet to rediscover any type of register of items, or envelopes inside the capsule.

According to an article in the Central Western Daily in March 1973, the capsule was part of a Lions fundraising project to raise money for "ladies amenities" in Robertson Park.

After a slow start, the envelopes, of which there were 3000 offered for sale, were eventually crammed into the capsule with people also responding to the suggestion they place a photo of themselves with their letter.

"There's no register that I've ever seen or that anyone's talked about, a register of all the numbers," Mr Fuge said.

"But they were given a card when they put their envelope in."

Mr Fuge said he believed that card also had a note with it.

"It said to put this [the card] with your will ... so if you do not survive the 50 years, your family will have this card and that give's them access to the envelope."

The capsule plan was conceived while the late Ted Evans was president of the Lions, which at the time had a membership Mr Fuge estimates of around 10 times the current 20 and led to the formation of a second Orange chapter, the Canobolas Lions.

Mr Evans' son Murray can remember the capsule being stored in the family home's backyard and his mother selling envelopes at a stall in the central business district.

"It's a pretty significant thing," Mr Evans said.

"I was only six but I just remember it vividly being in the backyard of our house. I was fascinated as a kid because it looked like a rocket."

After they were filled, the envelopes could then be returned to Jack Evans Men's Store on Peisley Street, to Mr K Floyd, at the Rural Bank Orange, Mr D Mearns CBA Bank, Orange or Mr R Russell Bank of NSW, Orange.

The card given after envelop purchase did have the corresponding envelope number on it.

According the an article written by Rosemary Curry in the Orange Historical Society newsletter, the Lions' capsule was 6 foot 6 inches tall, made of copper and constructed by TAFE students.

Mr Fuge said the club had already been contacted via text message asking about their plans for next June's unearthing.

"He's interested in bringing his family to Orange so he's had a relative [contribute to the capsule] but I haven't traced it back yet."

Mr Fuge, who was about 29 at the time the capsule was buried and not living in Orange, said Lions were in the midst of forming a committee to pursue more information on the capsule.

"We've nominated two or three people to form a committee and start looking into it and see what we can find out.

"The thing tells us when we've got to dig it up so that's not an issue but and we'll trace who we can for on any information on it. And that what sort of function we'll do that particular week."

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