 Drilling occurred in 1896, 1897 and 1911.In 1896 Professor Edgeworth David of the University of Sydney went to the Pacific atoll of Funafuti as part of the "Funafuti Coral Reef Boring Expedition of the Royal Society", under Professor William Sollas.There were defects in the boring machinery and the bore penetrated only slightly more than 100 feet (approx.