SUPL update

The Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) was officially unveiled in August 2022 and completion of the construction of Stage 1 was celebrated with a visit to the laboratory and an aboveground celebration in Stawell.

Attendees included representatives from the Northern Grampians Shire Council, Regional Development Victoria, Stawell Gold Mines, SUPL Ltd, the University of Melbourne, the University of Adelaide, Swinburne University of Technology, ANSTO, the Australian National University, Stawell Secondary College, H Troon and Neboro Consulting as well as Victoria’s Chief Scientist Dr Amanda Caples and local Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster.

Elisabetta Barberio said with the upcoming installation of the SABRE South experiment, the laboratory would provide the opportunity to understand a substance that has long eluded scientists.

“With the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory, we have the tools and location to detect this dark matter. Proving the existence of dark matter will help us understand its nature and forever change how we see the universe.”

SABRE South will run in conjunction with the complementary SABRE experiment taking place in Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. For details on the progress of SABRE South, see the Research Themes section.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of Melbourne Professor James McCluskey said universities are places of deep discovery supported by global partnerships in advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

“Research which is needed to address the great unanswered questions – such as ‘what is dark matter?’ – is nearly always done in collaboration,” Professor McCluskey said.

“Working with our partners and sharing our collective knowledge and expertise, the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory will facilitate experiments which are critical in the global search for dark matter.’’

The Australian and Victorian governments each contributed $5 million in funding for the building of SUPL, boosted by funding from the University of Melbourne.

The laboratory was constructed by Ballarat based H. Troon, using many local contractors throughout the build.

The Stawell laboratory will be managed by SUPL Ltd., which is co-owned by the University of Melbourne, ANSTO, the Australian National University, Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Adelaide.

SUPL Ltd. Chair Dr Sue Barrell AO said the eyes of the world would soon turn to the historic Victorian town of Stawell.

“Stawell sits at a junction between the SUPL partner organisations in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide. And now with the establishment of this laboratory, SUPL sits at the centre of dark matter research globally.”

There was a flurry of media activity surrounding the event, for details see the Media section.