[3] Construction commenced in 2019,[4] and though it was expected to be complete by the end of 2021[5] due to delays from corporate mergers it opened in August 2022.
Northern Hemisphere instruments are showing hints of a June "bump" of possible dark matter hits,[7] which is expected given the galaxy's rotation, but it is hard to be sure that it is not a false signal due to some subtle seasonal environmental effect.
[17] The project was stalled when the new owners dismissed most of the labour force[18] and shut down the Stawell gold mine to a "care and maintenance" state in December 2016.
In December 2017, yet another new owner announced their intention to reopen the mine and were supportive of the underground laboratory,[17] allowing hope that construction would restart.
The 2019 Australian federal budget included $5 million for SUPL,[20] and in July 2019 a memorandum of understanding between Stawell Gold Mines Pty Ltd, the Northern Grampians Shire Council, and the University of Melbourne was signed[21] to build and operate the laboratory.
[16][22]: 4–5 The first experiment planned for SUPL is SABRE[22]: 4 [23] (Sodium-iodide with Active Background REjection), based on 50 kg of thallium-doped sodium iodide.