‘He was so excited’: painter discovers 122-year-old message in a bottle inside lighthouse walls

Bottle stashed in wall cavity of heritage-listed Cape Bruny lighthouse contained letter written in 1903 by Tasmanian lighthouse inspector

A painter in Tasmania has uncovered a sealed glass bottle containing a message that was hidden within a wall cavity of the historic Cape Bruny lighthouse more than 120 years ago.

Specialist painter Brian Burford was performing routine maintenance on the seaside structure when the discovery took place, according to Annita Waghorn, historic heritage manager for the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.