On Tuesday 23 April 2002, a time capsule was placed inside the Parramatta Town Hall by the Parramatta City Council’s Centenary of Federation Committee to be opened in 2051.
A plaque dedicated to the time capsule reads:
In 2051, Parramatta City Council`s Centenary of Federation Time Capsule will be opened by the Lord Mayor of the day, providing messages to the future and insights into the civic and community life of Parramatta 2001.
Lodged inside the Parramatta Town Hall, the contents of the Time Capsule were collected by Council`s Centenary of Federation Committee 100 years after the nation of Australia came into being on 1 January 1901.
The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Parramatta Councillor John Haines OAM
23 April 2002
The content includes:
- Letter to the future
- Black presentation book — Council Forms, Annual Report etc.
- Black presentation book - postcards to the future, schools, heritage groups etc.
- Black presentation book
- Signed Parramatta Eels football jersey
- Lord Mayoral presentation box engraved with the Town Hall
- Harry Potter collector cards
- Centenary of Federation lapel pin
- Council presentation pins — 5 samples
- Town Hall keyring
- Ladybird spelling book
- "Mosh" — girls bracelet
- "Artbox" tattoo & plastic carry bag
- "Hanna's" T towel linen with Australian Map
- Newsagents — 8 piece Maths set
- Child's phone book featuring "pooh bear"
- Banana's in Pyjamas face cloth —ABC licenced goods
- Konica 24 VX100, 35ml colour film
- Souvenir photo album featuring "Syd, Ollie, & Millie" Olympic mascots
- "Woods Chemist" — band aids
- Chemist — Oral B dental floss
- Chemist — Oral B toothbrush
- "Micky Discount Tobacconist" –Phone card — World $5
- Fridge magnetic photo frame
- Parramatta Pharmacy — Cannon — baby bottle
- "Beat disc" — Midnight Oil CD — Redneck wonderland
- "Alexanders Jewellers" — Sleepers — silver earrings
- Parramatta Pharmacy — Ansell Checkmate condoms — contraceptives
- "Pellegrini Bros Books" — Guardian Angel - Fridge Magnet
- Newsagent - $5 "Scratchie" —lottery ticket
- "The Shoppee" — Greeting Card "Chill Out"
- "Hair Warehouse" — beaded hair accessories
- $5 note — featuring "Henry Parks", 2 x $2 coins, 1 x $1 coin
- "Bergs Hobbies" — Matchbox toy — "Indy car"
- "National Bank" — Deposit & Withdrawal slips
- Presentation Card — Featuring the Town Hall
- "Art Suppliers" — Greeting Cards
Newspaper articles collected and included in the time capsule include:
- The Sydney Morning Herald, vol. 1, no. 1, 18 April 1931, p.
- "Battlefield or cricket field" Test of a nation by Gabrielle Chan, The Sydney Morning Herald (Review), 28-29 October 2000, p. 6-7
- "Federation bells", The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 November 2000, p. 7
- Lecture series : NSW COF Symposium 2001. The Sydney Morning Herald, 15-16 December 2000, p.
- "Real hero's of Australian Federation", The Sydney Morning Herald (Opinion & comments), 18 December 2000, p. 10
- “Journey of a Nation" will end in Rupert Murdoch’s pocket", The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 December 2000, p.
- "Adolescent behaviour" by Tony Stephens, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 December 2000, p.
- "Proud town’s key role in our destiny" by Tony Stephens, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 December 2000, p. 10 (Celebration of a nation : The road to Federation : Day 1 Tenterfield)
- "When the people cried for more light" by Tony Stephens, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 December 2000, p. 4 (Celebration of a nation : The road to Federation : Day 3 Bathurst).
- "The town that nearly said 'no way" —Maffa, Vic., The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 December 2000, p.
- "Howard hails new national confidence" by Tom Allard, The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 December 2000, p. 6.
- "Head for heights — story of $5 note and Henry Parkes, The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 December 2000, p.
- "Nations making had a lot to do with the price of apples", The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 December 2000, p. 27
- "Federation Extra : Celebrating 100 years as a nation", The Sun Herald, 31 December 2000. 12 page colour souvenir lift-out
- "The deal that bought the nation together" by David Marr, The Sydney Morning Herald (Opinion & comment), 1 January 2001, p. 8
- "January 1, 1901 : The day Australia became a nation" by Gavin Souter, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 January 2001, p. 4-5
- "A nation rich & rare", The Sydney Morning Herald (Special Federation ed.), 2 January 2001.
- "Federation alive", The Daily Telegraph, 4 January 2001, p.
- "Poets well versed in current affairs", The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 January 2001, p.
- "Comments from pubic re: Federation", The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 January 2001, p.
- "The great dividing age" , The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 January 2001, p.
- "Taking care of business", The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 January 2001, p.
- "The gender agenda" by Marilyn Lake, The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 January 2001, p. 11
- "Hope springs a new — to jump in the lake after a 40 year wait", The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 March 2001, p.
- “Power, passion & pain" : Parramatta Eels v Newcastle Grand final, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 2001, p.
Anne Tsang, Research Assistant, Parramatta Heritage Centre, City of Parramatta, 2021