Unearthed Roseworthy Time Capsule Reveals Snapshot of SA Agricultural History
By Jessica Dempster
A bottle of vintage port, a soil sample, a bar of Palmolive Gold soap, a pair of pantyhose, and a collection of newspapers, pamphlets and university materials all dated from the year 1976, were among some of the 50 items resurfaced from a time capsule buried at Adelaide University's Roseworthy Campus over 5 decades ago.
The capsule, buried by Sir Allan Callaghan on graduation day, February 23, 1976, was unearthed during a special event held at the regional campus on Saturday October 17, with Roseworthy staff, students, alumni and community members gathering for the occasion.
Sir Callaghan served as Principal of Roseworthy Agricultural College from 1932 to 1949, with his grandson and former Roseworthy student Stephen Callaghan helping to retrieve the capsule during the ceremony.
Immediate past president of the Roseworthy Campus Association Andrew Eastick, who helped organise the weekend, said it was wonderful to see so many former students and staff in attendance for the historical moment.
"It was a very good turnout," he said, speaking with FlowFM's Jessica Dempster on the Country Viewpoint, "not only of the students, but also the number of past staff - some of whom are quite elderly now of course - who were able to attend."
The capsule was created during a period of significant change for the college, with 1976 marking a time where Roseworthy was expanding its student numbers, introducing new programs, and embracing new technologies while continuing its longstanding contribution to agricultural education, research and industry development.
Mr Eastick, who was part of the 1976 graduation cohort, said its contents captured a snapshot of what life was like at the college and in the ag sector 50 years ago.
"The port and the wine was interesting as at the time Roseworthy Agricultural College offered a diploma in oenology," he said.
"Essentially it was the only place in Australia at that time where you could study winemaking - so that was significant that those items were in the time capsule."
Mr Eastick said another item that garnered a lot of interest in the capsule was a pair of pantyhose, which he imagined were placed to signify how, during 1976, women had only been allowed to enroll/study at Roseworthy for two years.
"Up until then, from 1884-1994 - so 90 years - only male students were allowed to enroll and attend the college," he said.
"So in early 1976, there had only been 3 intakes where females we're allowed to attend, meaning there were probably only around 20 women enrolled in total out of the roughly 200 students who made up the cohort at the time."
Mr Eastick said the pantyhose represent the enormous change that has occured over 50 years when it comes to women pursuing and undertaking careers in the ag industry, with between 75-85% of Roseworthy's current 1000 student cohort female.
"There's very nearly now a thousand students at the Roseworthy campus spread across 5 courses, and between 75-80% of them are female, so that's been an enormous change," he said.
Of the 50 items buried in the time capsule, Mr Eastick said all except the bottle of 1974 Roseworthy Old Collegians Association port, were unearthed in fantastic condition.
"The port had femented in the bottle and spilled out a bit," he said. "Fortunately though it didn't affect any of the other contents."
"People would like to think that the Roseworthy made wine was very good, but for it to survive and be drinkable - or even in good quality - after 50 years is a bit of a stretch, however, I do suspect at some stage there will be some testing of the contents and a judgment made."
Also due for testing from the capsule are two vials of the wheat pathogen Septoria tritici, which were included so its viability could be tested half a century later.
Robin Wilson – a plant breeding consultant who is now in his 70s and still working in WA – provided the samples for the capsule during his tenure with Roseworthy’s Wheat Breeding Program in the 1970s.
Septoria tritici is a fungal pathogen that causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), a major disease of wheat crops.
The samples will be examined by South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), with scientists hoping to gain insights into how the pathogen has evolved over time - including changes in aggressiveness, adaptation to wheat varieties that have been developed over this time, and potential responses to fungicides.
Professor Tim Sutton, Research Director Crop Sciences at SARDI, said the vials present a rare opportunity to compare a historical pathogen sample with its modern counterparts, to strengthen the industry's understanding of one of its most significant challenges.
“This rare opportunity to compare a historical pathogen sample to those prevalent today in wheat crops, could strengthen our understanding of fungal disease evolution and importantly for growers, provide insights into future management strategies," he said.
“It also highlights the importance of sustained investment in agricultural research, where the value of scientific collections and knowledge can continue to grow over decades.”
A new 2026 time capsule was installed at the campus after the unveiling by Adelaide University School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences dean Professor Rob Woodgate and Roseworthy graduate and Mayor of Light Regional Council Bill Close, with its contents to be unearthed in another 50 years time in 2076.
To hear the full chat between Jess and Andrew Eastick on FlowFM's Country Viewpoint, check out the Country Viewpoint podcast.
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