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Asbestos in Australia

The incidence rates of mesothelioma in Australia are some of the highest reported national rates in the world. The majority of cases are linked to a history of exposure to asbestos, and 80 percent to 90 percent of all new cases in Australia involve men.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the total number of mesothelioma cases in Australia is expected to reach 18,000 by 2020. Australia's high rate of mesothelioma is linked to the country's history of excessive asbestos use of all kinds in a variety of occupations, products and environments. The country mined the mineral for more than 100 years

Asbestos was first mined in Australia beginning in the 1880s in Jones Creek, New South Wales. Over the next 100 years, New South Wales would produce the largest tonnages of mined chrysotile asbestos in the country.

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Wittenoom Asbestos Mines

In 1937, asbestos was discovered in Wittenoom, Western Australia, and by 1939, major mining of the mineral at Yampire Gorge in Wittenoom had begun. Wittenoom was Australia's only supplier of crocidolite, or "blue asbestos," now known to be the deadliest form of asbestos.

A company town was built around the mine in Wittenoom in 1947 to house workers and their families. Most miners were unaware of the risks associated with direct and indirect asbestos exposure until the mine closed down in 1966, amidst suspicions that asbestos was causing major health problems in miners and their families.

Since the end of asbestos mining, Wittenoom has nearly been erased from the map, with only a handful of residents remaining. Estimates note that approximately 25 percent of all men who worked at the blue asbestos mine in Wittenoom have since died or will die of an asbestos-related disease. In Barraba, silos full of asbestos tailings, or leftover wastes, remain, though officials say there is presently no danger caused by the remains of the Wittenoom mine.

The Woodsreef Mines

Asbestos was also mined from the Woodsreef mine, located near the township of Barraba in New South Wales. Woodsreef produced white chrysotile asbestos until the mine was abandoned by its operators in the 1980s, but approximately 25 million tons of asbestos waste remained at the mining site, with asbestos fibers visible. More than 25 years after mining operations ceased, the Woodsreef mine continues to leave a legacy of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Imports and Products

Through much of the 20th century, Australia was a major user of a great variety of asbestos products, most of which were imported from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. Asbestos-containing products often imported by Australia included asbestos cement, rope, yarn, fabric, friction materials, gaskets and millboard.

Asbestos was also imported in raw fiber form from Canada (chrysotile) and South Africa (crocidolite and amosite) until the 1960s, when the import of asbestos materials finally declined.

Australia’s post-World War II consumption of asbestos was very high, with an estimated 70,000 asbestos cement homes built in New South Wales in the year 1954 alone. After World War II, half of all homes built in New South Wales were made of asbestos cement, and until the 1960s, one-quarter of all new homes in Australia were clad in asbestos cement. Many of those homes still stand today and contain the toxic mineral.

Influence of James Hardie Industries

During the 20th century, the Australian asbestos market was largely led by James Hardie Industries, a company which manufactured a wide range of building and insulation products and was involved with the mining, distribution and manufacture of asbestos and related products. James Hardie Industries owned asbestos mines not only in Australia, but also in Canada and Zimbabwe.

Unfortunately, Hardie executives knew of the risks associated with asbestos mines and exposure to the airborne fibers, but the company never warned asbestos miners or plant workers of the risks. Wastes from the Hardie plants were distributed throughout the community for use in playgrounds, driveways and park paths, and the asbestos-contaminated waste was even used to make “Hessian” bags that carried fruit and vegetables. The injury resulting from exposure to asbestos in James Hardie plants and mines is almost immeasurable.

Regulation

Australia began to regulate the use of asbestos products in the late 1970s. The use of crocidolite (blue) asbestos was banned in 1967, while the use of  amosite (brown) asbestos continued until the  mid-1980s. The ban on chrysotile (white) asbestos finally came about 20 years later, at the end of 2003.

Despite the bans, Australia’s residents are still exposed to asbestos in many  buildings, both residential and commercial, that contain asbestos cement and other asbestos products. Demolition of any structures built prior to the asbestos bans is particularly dangerous, as is any renovation or remodeling project that puts individuals in contact with these locations or products.

Asbestos Mines and Exposure

For more information about asbestos mines and mesothelioma, submit your information in the form at the top right of this page.

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