Archive · 29 Oct 2025
WWI Soldiers' Messages in Bottle Found on Australian Beach Over 100 Years Later
Imagine you are a soldier going to a big war a long, long time ago.
Two soldiers, Malcolm and William, wrote happy letters to their families and put them in a bottle.
They threw the bottle into the sea from their ship as they sailed far away.
For over 100 years, the bottle sat on a beach in Australia, hidden in the sand.
Recently, a family cleaning up the beach found the bottle.
The paper inside was still readable, even though it was wet!
They were able to share the letters with the soldiers' families, bringing a piece of history back to life.
One soldier, Malcolm, sadly didn't make it home, but his letter lets us know he was thinking of his mom.
The other soldier, William, survived the war and his family was amazed to get his message.
Messages in a bottle from two Australian WWI soldiers, dated August 15, 1916, have been discovered on a beach in Western Australia.
The bottle was found by the Brown family on Wharton Beach near Esperance on October 9.
The letters were written by Privates Malcolm Neville and William Harley aboard the troop ship HMAT A70 Ballarat as it sailed to Europe.
Neville was killed in action a year after writing his letter, while Harley survived the war despite being wounded twice.
The find has reconnected the soldiers' families with their relatives' messages from over a century ago.
- Who
- Privates Malcolm Neville and William Harley, Australian soldiers, and the Brown family who found the bottle.
- What
- Messages in a bottle written by two WWI soldiers more than 100 years ago were found on a beach.
- When
- Letters dated August 15, 1916; bottle found on October 9.
- Where
- Wharton Beach near Esperance in Western Australia.
- Why
- The soldiers wrote the messages to be found, and the bottle was likely dislodged from sand dunes by recent erosion.
Soldier's Intent
Finder's Interpretation
Message Delivery
Soldier's Intent
Malcolm Neville explicitly requested the finder deliver his letter to his mother. William Harley stated he was happy for the finder to keep his note.
Finder's Interpretation
The Brown family's motivation was beach cleanup; they were surprised and moved to be able to connect with the soldiers' families.
Bottle's Journey
Soldier's Intent
The soldiers were at sea, somewhere in the Great Australian Bight, indicating the bottle was likely released into the ocean.
Finder's Interpretation
Deb Brown suspects the bottle spent over a century ashore, buried in sand dunes, and was dislodged by recent erosion, rather than being at sea for that duration.
- Bottle Brand
- Schweppes
- Date of Letters
- August 15, 1916
- Ship Name
- HMAT A70 Ballarat
- Departure Location
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Discovery Location
- Wharton Beach, Esperance, Western Australia
- Discovery Date
- October 9 (Tuesday)