Emerald Community Celebrates 50-Year Time Capsule Opening

On Saturday 12 October, community members gathered at Emerald Library Park for the long-anticipated opening of a time capsule, sealed when the Emerald Youth and National Fitness Centre was opened in 1974.  

The time capsule carried the instructions from (then) President of the Emerald Youth and National Fitness Centre Area Committee, Kevin Gnech: “Not to be opened until after September 2024.” 

Kevin’s grandson, John Gnech, broke open the concrete encasement to reveal a small treasure chest of memories.  

Among those present were Kevin’s wife, children, and grandchildren, Clive Coward a member of the Area Committee in 1974, and former youth boxers who came along with their families and friends to share fond memories and reconnect.  

Attendees reminisced about the vibrant history of the Emerald Youth and National Fitness Centre and the significant town developments in the 1970’s, such as the completion of Fairbairn Dam. 

The Centre Area Committee members who contributed items to the time capsule included Kevin Gnech, Jim Moriarty, Percy Stalz, Clive Coward, Bill Haylock, Doug Slack, Margaret Gibson, and Gordon Mooney.  

These items were newspapers, the club’s project brochure, comic books, coins, notes detailing the Emerald Youth and Fitness Centre’s history, and a black-and-white photo of the members preparing the capsule. 

During the morning, Victor Cominos, who succeeded Kevin as President, spoke warmly on behalf of the Gnech family, reflecting on the purpose and aspirations of the Emerald Youth and National Fitness Centre during the late 1970s and 1980s. 

Present at the ceremony, Mayor Janice Moriarty said she felt honoured to join with long-term residents and generations of Emerald families to acknowledge this important historic event.  

Plans to display the contents of the time capsule at the Emerald Library are underway. Stay tuned on the council’s social media for updates on how to view these pieces of Emerald’s history.