Launceston General Hospital Historical Committee members Paul Richards, Barbara Valentine, Tom Dunning and Dan Huon examine items from the time capsule. Picture: NEIL RICHARDSON
UNVEILING items from a 1937 time capsule could not have come at a better time for the Launceston General Hospital Historical Committee.
The committee was presented with the capsule on Wednesday - 76 years since it was buried in the old Launceston General Hospital foundations, and two months before the committee displays memorabilia as part of the hospital's 150th anniversary.
The capsule was made of oil cloth, and wrapped inside were copies ofif The Examiner and ifThe Mercury newspapers from March 20, 1937, coins from the early 1900s and a document with the names of the hospital's board members.
Committee secretary Paul Richards said it was lucky they got hold of the capsule.
Mr Richards said the capsule was unearthed by a workman in the early stages of the old Launceston General Hospital's transformation into the Charles Hotel, which started in 2008.
``This workman didn't know what to do with it,'' Mr Richards said.
``So he said nothing to anyone and he kept it.
``But, he happened to be living next door to a former nurse from the LGH, and she said hand it into one of our committee members.''
The anniversary will be celebrated from May 12 to May 19 at the hospital.