A window into life in Katikati back in 1987 has been opened with the discovery of a time capsule in the town’s old library building on the main street.

Builders working on repairing The Arts Junction – formerly Katikati’s library building – at 36 Main Rd found the capsule on Tuesday, June 24, about 10.30am.

Subcontractor builders AJ Colquhoun and Rajwinder Panesar found the time capsule while pulling the wall from the building’s old library section.

“We were pulling off the cladding,” said Colquhoun. “I pulled off a sheet of Hardies and the tube fell out and landed on me and I thought: ‘Oh what’s this?’ At first I thought it was a vent pipe.”

Then he saw the writing on the pipe, which read: “1987-2087″ with some names scribbled, followed by a mark to “CUT HERE” – and thought: ‘Cool!’

Colquhoun said he’d unearthed old newspapers on jobs before but never a time capsule.

“The old building’s plans were cool, as was seeing the old Katikati Advertiser’s front-page picture of what this site looked like with no library there.”

62 years too early!

The builders called on one of the building’s residents – Katch Katikati’s accounts and administration manager Kristin Crockett, who rang Western Bay of Plenty’s community heritage services co-ordinator Sandra Haigh to come on-site to witness it being opened, after gaining permission from Dene Skelton.

Kristin Crockett, of Katch Katikati, with the time capsule which was found inside the wall of her workplace, at The Arts Junction, formerly Katikati Library. Photo / Merle Cave

The time capsule’s external, black-pen marking “1987-2087″ signalled it had been found 62 years earlier than intended. It also had the original library’s builders’ details scribbled – names Owen Tipping and Dene Skelton – and when the time capsule was placed inside the wall: 10-6-1987.

Jens Gunther takes a closer at plans for building Katikati Library at 36 Main St back in 1987, with Xavier Radonick, Aj Colquhoun, Viriginia Gordon, and Rajwinder Panesar present. Photo / Sandra Haigh

When Katikati News contacted Dene Skelton about the discovery, he said he remembered the moment well: “I was the one who put the time capsule in the wall – but I put it over one stud more, about 600mm out, than it was supposed to be.”

Dene said it was his father, the late Keith Skelton, who had the contract for building the new library back in 1987.

“I was just the apprentice on the job,” said Dene. “I worked for [the late] Owen Tipping, who contracted to Dad. Another guy was the late John Bannister; he was the bricklayer.”

Dene was surprised the capsule hadn’t been found before now. “I’ve seen all the work that’s been going on there and thought: ‘I wonder if they’ve found it yet ...’”

Once opened, the capsule revealed a minefield of information relating to Katikati back in 1987 – with emphasis on the work to get the 1987 construction of the Katikati Library over the line.

What was inside…

The following items were among paperwork inside the capsule.

- Architectural plans for the new library that was built at 36 Main Rd site in 1987. Tauranga County Council’s 1987 council directory, which listed council members’ party line phone numbers.

The Katikati Library Plan, from back in 1987, when the building first went up at 36 Main St. Photo / Sandra Haigh

- A full edition of the Katikati Advertiser, dated May 12, 1987, with the front-page lead story headlined: “$50,000 gift to library’ detailing how Mrs Edith Honeyfield handed over a $50,000 cheque to Tauranga County Council chairman Harold Cameron to be used for furnishings and fittings for the new library being built at 36 Main Rd at the time.

Katikati Advertiser, dated May 12, 1987, with the front page lead story titled: ‘$50,000 gift to library’ was inside the capsule. Image / Sandra Haigh

- A special-edition print of book An Ulster Plantation by Arthur J. Gray for the 1975 Katikati Centennial with a picture of the Lady Jocelyn on the cover.

- A contract for work between Tauranga County Council and builder Keith Skelton for construction of the library.

- A street map of Katikati back in 1986 – missing many streets and developments we have here today.

- An old 20-cent coin.

Crockett said much of the information details how a library committee pushed for a larger library premises to be built in town.

“It was amazing to find such a hidden treasure in our walls.”

A snapshot

Reading through the contents also gave a good snapshot of life at the time. The town’s Caltex service station advertised in the Katikati Advertiser that it had two easy ways to pay – with a Caltex Card Pay available 24 hours, or Eftpos during normal business hours. The advert even explained how an Eftpos card worked!

The town’s supermarket Food Master advertised its specials of the day. Chicken breasts were $5.70 per kilogram, Hudson Shrewsbury biscuits cost $1.35 per pack and you could get a two-litre tub of Tip Top ice cream for $2.99.

The Village Butcher specials included large sides of mutton for $9.95 and rump steak at $6.90kg. Another ad had one litre of Coopers Brew Draught at $8.95.

Intrinsic value

Haigh said as an archivist, she’d not been a part of a time capsule experience before – “it was a thrill!”

“The information has huge intrinsic value to our town, as it is a snapshot of a time of enormous change and growth for Katikati.

“In a way, it was also a time when the very beginnings of the town were being acknowledged, as Katikati hadn’t had a dedicated library building constructed since 1914, when the very first library was opened.”

According to Western Bay of Plenty District Libraries’ Community Archives, the town’s first library – named Katikati Public Library and Reading Room – was a small building built just inside the gates at the Uretara Domain.

“That library is still located in the domain and is a listed heritage building,” said Haigh.

Crockett said all of the time capsule’s contents were in good condition, due to being kept dry and free of light inside a sealed PVC pipe.

A special edition print for Katikati Centennial 1975 of ‘An Ulster Plantation’ by Arthur J. Gray was found inside the capsule. Image / Supplied

Haigh said the information had been copied and documented into WBOP District Libraries’ Community Archives – but will not be accessible to the public until she checks copyright privileges.

Back it goes

Meanwhile, Haigh had added a letter to the capsule detailing how the town’s library had shifted to a newly-built facility at 21 Main Rd, and the old building had been repurposed as The Arts Junction, a creative hub, retail space and visitors’ centre run by Katch Katikati.

Crockett also plans on adding a few things to the capsule – such as copies of the Katikati News and information on how the building is being used today – before placing it back into the building for it to be uncovered again in future.

“It was intended to be first opened in 2087, and so we hope the next time it will be opened will be closer to that date.”