WATCH: Messages in a bottle from World War I found on Australian beach

Chante Ho Hip

Chante Ho Hip

31 October 2025 | 9:19

The letters from 1916 were discovered inside an old Schweppes bottle, more than a century after they were cast into the sea.

WATCH: Messages in a bottle from World War I found on Australian beach

Photo: Unsplash/Jayne Harris

Messages in a bottle written by two Australian World War I soldiers were recently found by a family cleaning a beach in Western Australia.

Deb Brown, her daughter, and husband made the discovery when they were doing one of their regular beach clean-ups.

The letters, dating back to 15 August 1916, were discovered inside an old Schweppes bottle on Wharton Beach, more than a century after they were cast into the sea. 

Inside the clear, thick glass bottles were cheerfully written letters pencilled by Privates Malcom Neville and Will Harley.

Neville wrote to his mother that he was “having a real good time, food is real good so far, with the exception of one meal which we buried at sea”.

Harley wrote: “May the finder be as well as we are at present”.

To listen to world news correspondent Adam Gilchrist in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click the audio player below (skip to 3.23):

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