A handwritten note from a First World War soldier, sealed in a glass bottle more than a century ago, has been discovered on a secluded stretch of Wharton Beach in Western Australia after fierce winter storms exposed long-buried dunes.
A message from 1916 surfaces
The fragile bottle, uncovered by a local beachgoer, contained a neatly folded note dated 15 August 1916. Written in faded ink, the letter carried a mixture of humour and homesickness, ending with the line, “If this finds its way back to Australia before I do, buy the finder a drink.” The author signed himself only as “Private Thomas,” serving in the Australian Imperial Force.
Discovery after violent storms
The find came after a series of severe winter storms battered the southern coastline, eroding dunes and uncovering remnants of shipwrecks and debris long buried under the sand. Local historians believe the bottle may have been thrown from a troopship crossing the Indian Ocean en route to Europe or the Middle East during the height of the Great War.
A glimpse into wartime humanity
Archaeologists and military historians have described the discovery as a rare and poignant connection to the personal experiences of soldiers during the First World War. “These small acts — a note, a joke, a name — remind us that behind the vast machinery of war were young men full of spirit and uncertainty,” said Dr Michael Kerr, a historian at the University of Western Australia.
Efforts to trace the soldier
The Australian War Memorial in Canberra has begun reviewing service records from 1916 in an effort to identify the author. Preliminary searches suggest several soldiers named Thomas embarked for overseas duty in August of that year. Conservation experts are also working to preserve the bottle and letter, which had been remarkably well protected from moisture and decay.
A timeless symbol of hope
The message’s light-hearted tone, written at a moment of immense global turmoil, has struck a chord with Australians. Local authorities plan to display the bottle and letter in a regional museum later this year, framing it as a testament to endurance, humour and the human need to reach across time — even through a bottle adrift at sea.
Newshub Editorial in Australia – 2 November 2025
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