Noted Australian businessman Mr Dick Smith AO has recently donated $5,000 to the Society, to assist with the project to replace the Coffee Pot's boiler, which is currently underway. The Society has sent a formal letter of thanks to Mr Smith.
The latest donation follows on from an earlier donation of $3,000 made by Mr Smith while the Coffee Pot lottery was in progress during 2007.
The project to replace the Coffee Pot's boiler is close to the end of the boiler design stage, with design verification expected to occur soon.
From there, fabrication of the replacement boiler is expected to occur during 2008, although a re-commissioning date has not yet been set, due to the nature of the project being treated as 'cost neutral' and subject to available time and resources of the various parties involved. Despite this, the Society is keenly focused on the Coffee Pot becoming operational again as soon as possible.