Balhousie Primary: Time capsule from 1908 found in wall of former Perth school months after devastating fire

A time capsule buried for more than a century in a former Perth primary school that was destroyed by a fire in June has now been recovered.

The time capsule was placed in the wall of Balhousie Primary School, then known as Northern District Primary School, during the laying of the foundation stone when the school was being built in 1908.

Local residents discovered reference to the time capsule in a newspaper article published in 1908 and alerted Perth and Kinross Council to its possible existence.

Working with the demolition team from Reigart, the glass capsule was located and was removed without damage on Friday and handed to Culture Perth and Kinross.

David Freeburn, exhibitions officer with Culture Perth and Kinross, and a former pupil of Northern District Primary School, was given the honour of retrieving the capsule from the walls of the building.

Council leaders praise ‘amazing’ discovery

John Rebbeck, depute leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said: “This is an amazing discovery and I am sure everyone is, like me, on tenterhooks to see what was placed in the capsule more than 100 years ago.

“I’d like to thank the local residents who brought it to our attention and staff and the council and demolition experts Reigart for helping to preserve this fascinating artefact.”

L2R: Councillor Ian Massie, Rhona Corbett, Culture Perth and Kinross (CPK), David Freeburn, CPK and former pupil of Balhousie, Councillor John Rebbeck (back), Bailie Chris Ahern, Barney Black, Richard Reid and Rab Elder, all former pupils of the school. | Perth and Kinross Council

Blaze burned down former primary school earlier this year

Fire tore through the former primary school, which closed in 2023, in June.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) dispatched six crews and two height appliances to the scene, with firefighters continuing to battle the blaze into the early hours.

An 18-year-old man had been arrested in connection with wilful fire-raising and was released pending further inquiries.

In June, Perth and Kinross Council announced the derelict school would face demolition.

After Friday’s recovery of the capsule, it will now be some time before the secrets contained within are known. Due to the age of the capsule and the unknown condition of its contents, the device will be opened in a climate-controlled environment at Perth Art Gallery so the contents are not damaged.

1908 capsule could be displayed at local museum

Work will then be done to preserve the items for future display.

The items recovered will form part of a display at the North Inch Community Campus early next year. Depending on the content and condition of the items, it has been said they may then go on display at Perth Museum.

Bailie Chris Ahern, ward member for Perth City Centre, right, hands over the time capsule to Barney Black who is representing the local community. | Perth and Kinross Council

Fellow depute council Leader Ian Massie said: “Whoever left the time capsule in the original school building cannot have imagined how much the world would have changed by the time it was opened.

“It will be absolutely fascinating to see what they left behind for future generations to discover.”

Rhona Corbett, head of museums and collections with Culture PK, said: “We are absolutely thrilled by the discovery of this time capsule at Balhousie Primary.

“While the loss of the school to the recent fire was a profound shock to the community, unearthing stories from the past gives us enormous comfort.

“We are looking forward to reviewing and conserving the contents of the time capsule and will reveal them very soon. We hope they will serve as a powerful link between the community and the school’s history."