A snapshot of life in Noble Park has been preserved in new open space, where it will stay for another 20 years.
Councillors from the City of Greater Dandenong joined level crossing removal project Senior Engineer Matthew Williamson to place the capsule below ground.
Landscaping works being completed as part of the level crossing project have offered the perfect opportunity for a capsule to be placed underground, where it will remain until being unearthed in 2038.
The time capsule vessel itself is purpose-built for the long-term preservation of various materials.
Old photos, hand-written notes, records, rail memorabilia and press clippings are all among the items donated by local residents and groups, including historic societies, Girl Guides, Country Women’s Association and the Noble Park RSL.
Matthew thanked everyone who had contributed to the time capsule.
'Speaking on behalf of the project, it’s been a great privilege to have come in contact with these groups who give so much to the community and are the lifeblood of Noble Park,' he said.
'I hope this time capsule will give future residents some insight into this community and a sense of how the suburb and its railway has grown and transformed over many years.'
Noble Park has experienced a huge transformation since it's humble beginnings as a semi-rural area. Dirt roads and paddocks have made way for bustling streets as the suburb gradually became part of the Melbourne metropolis.
3 level crossings were removed in February this year.
Greater Dandenong Mayor Cr Youhorn Chea said the time capsule would be opened by council in 2 decades’ time. 'This is a way to preserve and document a significant period in Noble Park’s history,' he said.
'In 20 years’ time there will be a generation of people who may never have seen a level crossing or heard the bells once associated with train stations and train lines.'
The time capsule’s location, in a garden area near the Ross Reserve skate park, will be marked with a plaque.
Thousands of locals came out on 13 October for the Caulfield to Dandenong ‘Corridor Carnival’, taking the opportunity to walk through the new linear park and try out newly opened play and recreation spaces near Heatherton and Chandler roads.
Entertainment was provided by musicians including the Cormac McCarthy Pipe Band, while craft stalls, jumping castle and a sausage sizzle were all a hit.
City of Greater Dandenong Major Cr Youhorn Chea joined Level Crossing Removal Project Senior Engineer Matthew Williamson and councillors Angela Long and Roz Blades to bury the time capsule.