The Australian Town That Was Riddled With Asbestos

Australia has had some of the greatest rates of asbestos use in history, and the old mining town of Wittenoom in Western Australia is a great example of how that has affected people over time. Wittenoom was once advertised as a thriving outback settlement, but now it serves as a stark warning about the hazards of asbestos exposure and the damage it does.

The Rise of Wittenoom

Wittenoom was built in the 1940s to help in mining blue asbestos (crocidolite) in the remote Pilbara region. In the 1950s and 1960s, when it was at its best, the town had more than 2,000 people living there. Families lived, worked, and raised kids there, frequently not knowing that the dust on the streets, playgrounds, and homes was exceedingly dangerous.

People in the town mined and processed blue asbestos, and the trash was used all over the place. They were used to line roadways, fill schoolyards, and even build things. There was no way to escape being exposed.

The Health Effects

Crocidolite is thought to be one of the most harmful types of asbestos. Former inhabitants and workers started getting significant ailments, like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer associated to asbestos, decades after mining began.

What made Wittenoom so sad was that it wasn’t just miners who were exposed. People, women, and children who lived in or passed through the town breathed in asbestos fibers. It took a long time for the full effects to be known after mining halted in 1966 because asbestos-related diseases can take 20 to 50 years to show up.

Abandonment and Erasure

As more and more evidence came in, the Australian government took steps that had never been taken before. Wittenoom was slowly de-gazetted, its services taken away, and people were told not to go there. Maps no longer showed roads, and warning signs were put up to tell people not to go there.

Wittenoom is very much a ghost town now. Most of the buildings have been torn down or shut off, and the ones that are still standing are thought to be unsafe. The goal was not simply to leave, but to stop any more exposure and reduce any potential injury.

Why Wittenoom is Still Important

Wittenoom is more than just an interesting place in history. It is a strong example of why it is so important to regulate, identify, and remove asbestos today. Asbestos is present in many ancient buildings around the world, although it’s typically buried and getting older.

The lessons from Wittenoom show us that being with asbestos doesn’t have to be conspicuous or dramatic to be harmful. Being exposed to something every day can have effects that last for decades.

Take Action to Protect Health and Safety

If you think there might be asbestos in a house, office, or public facility, you need to have it checked out by a specialist. Never presume that older buildings are safe and don’t touch materials yourself.

Get in touch with The Asbestos Institute today to find out more about the dangers of asbestos, how to test for it, and how to handle it safely. To protect your health, you need to know what to do and have the correct knowledge.