Man Finds Literal Message in a Bottle Hidden in Walls of House During Home Renovation

Sending off a message in a bottle has been a form of communication for years and they're typically found in a body of water. However, one message in a bottle turned up on drier land after nearly 50 years between two walls when a man from Newcastle, Australia was doing some home renovations.

Matt Streatfeild posted his find to Facebook and wrote that while removing several walls, he found the bottle with a note written by the plasterers who built them.

"Written in 1974 by the boys from Newcastle Interior Linings," Streatfeild wrote. "Apparently they were waiting on payment of their $106 Weekly Wage."

He listed the four names that signed the note and asked for help getting in touch with the men.

"Per Newcastle Interior Linings we are waiting for our weekly wages which are gross $106," the letter read.

According to the note, the bottle was also one of the first items to use the new metric scale as Australia began shifting from the imperial measuring system.

"You always hear the legend of messages in a bottle, but you never think you'll find one in between two walls in your own house," Streatfeild told NBN News.

With the power of social media, a few people commented on Streatfeild's post and one of the note's authors was found.

"One of these little mementos has paid off," Ron Niddrie, one of the writers of the note who is now 66-years-old, told the outlet. "The fact that it was 47 years ago was even more of a shock."

Streatfeild wrote in his comment section of the post that he spoke with Niddrie over the phone and learned though it was late, he did get paid that week.

As his kitchen renovation continues, Streatfeild said he plans to return the original bottle with something from 2021.

"When we re-sheet this wall we're going to place the old bottle that we found from 1974 with that piece of history, and we're going to add our own," he told NBN News. "Little face mask from 2021 and a bit of description of how life's been for the last couple of years."

Renovations in a pub in England also revealed a time capsule.

Newsweek reported in June that workers found a cigar box at Holcombe Farmshop & Kitchen while completing an improvement project.

A photo of the contents was posted to the Holcombe Farmshop & Kitchen Instagram page, and it showed a number of items, including a note from the previous owner dated July 14, 1973.

"To the present owner from a past owner," it read. "Good luck."

Newsweek reached out to Matt Streatfeild for further comment.