Australian Towns Hosted Asbestos Shoveling Competitions
In 1943, Colonial Sugar Refinery (CSR) began mining crocidolite asbestos nearby an Australian township called Wittenoom. Crocidolite asbestos – also known as blue asbestos – is made up of particularly fine, sharp fibers, and is considered to be the most dangerous type of asbestos you can come into contact with.
The Wittenoom Gorge Mine operated until 1966, when it closed, citing falling asbestos prices and poor profitability. The mine employed approximately 7,000 workers during its operation, with a further 13,000 residing in the Wittenoom township.
Given its proximity to the mine, blue asbestos was liberally used throughout the township of Wittenoom; on roads and pavements, in school playgrounds – chillingly, asbestos pits were even made for children to play in.
Asbestos Shoveling Made for a Deadly Competition
In the name of fun and friendly competition, Australian coal-mining towns used to carry out what became a tradition – asbestos shoveling. Miners would compete to see who could fill their 40-gallon drum up with the blue asbestos the fastest.
An image of such a competition has more recently surfaced, depicting a 1962 Wittenoom asbestos shoveling competition. The miners race to fill their drums as onlookers stand near – all the while, the deadly mineral fills the air around them.
Many Asbestos Shoveling Competitors Died From Asbestos-Related Illnesses
Tragically, all but one of the men in the image have since died from health issues related to asbestos exposure. Ironically, the man who won the competition on the day pictured is the only man still alive, Arthur Della Maddalena. In 2004, a West Australian court reached a landmark decision, ruling that he be compensated for psychiatric injury; despite thankfully not being diagnosed with mesothelioma, he lives in fear of dying from asbestos injury, and has endured the horror of losing many friends, colleagues, and his brother to the deadly disease.
Asbestos Clean-up virtually impossible for abandoned town
The government of Western Australia has conducted geotechnical work to assess the practicalities of cleaning up asbestos from the town, but whether it will ever receive a clean bill of health remains to be seen. The clean-up costs would be astronomical, and currently, the town remains severely contaminated and abandoned, save for a few foolhardy tourists.
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