Educational Guide
From ancient civilisations to the modern construction boom — discover where asbestos came from, how it was discovered, and why it became one of the most widely used building materials in history.
Asbestos is not a single mineral but a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals composed of long, thin fibrous crystals. These fibres are incredibly strong, resistant to heat, fire, and chemical damage, and do not conduct electricity — properties that made asbestos seem almost magical to the builders and manufacturers of the 20th century.
The six types of asbestos are: chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Of these, chrysotile is the most common, accounting for roughly 95% of all asbestos used commercially worldwide.
The word "asbestos" comes from the ancient Greek word asbestos (ἄσβεστος), meaning "inextinguishable" or "unquenchable" — a fitting name given its legendary resistance to fire.
Asbestos has been known to humans for over 4,500 years. Archaeological evidence shows that the earliest known use dates back to the Stone Age in what is now Finland, where asbestos fibres were mixed with clay to strengthen ceramic pots and cooking vessels around 2500 BC.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were fascinated by asbestos. Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) wrote about funeral shrouds made of asbestos that were used to wrap the dead before placing them on funeral pyres. The asbestos cloth would remain pure white and undamaged by the flames, allowing the ashes of the deceased to be collected separately from the ashes of the fire.
Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) documented the use of asbestos napkins and tablecloths. Wealthy Romans would throw these asbestos cloths into the fire to clean them — they would emerge from the flames whiter and cleaner than before, much to the amazement of dinner guests.
Pliny also noted something particularly telling: slaves who worked in asbestos mines and wove asbestos cloth seemed to die younger than others, and he observed that they suffered from lung ailments. Remarkably, Pliny recommended against buying slaves who had worked in asbestos quarries because of their poor health — an early, tragic observation of what we now recognise as asbestos-related disease.
During the Middle Ages, asbestos fell into relative obscurity in Europe. However, it continued to be mined and used in other parts of the world. In China, asbestos was woven into cloth and used for lamp wicks and fireproof garments. Chinese writers called it "fire rat fur" or "stone linen."
Marco Polo, the Venetian explorer who travelled through Asia in the 13th century, encountered asbestos during his journeys. He was told by locals that it came from the skin of a salamander, a creature believed in medieval folklore to be born of fire. Polo debunked this myth after visiting an asbestos mine in China, correctly identifying it as a mineral fibre.
Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor (9th century), was said to have owned an asbestos tablecloth that he would dramatically throw into the fire after banquets to demonstrate his "magical" powers to visiting dignitaries.
The modern asbestos industry began in the mid-19th century, driven by the Industrial Revolution's demand for insulation, fireproofing, and durable materials. In 1858, the first commercial asbestos mine opened in Thetford, Quebec, Canada — and the global asbestos rush began.
By the 1870s, large-scale mining operations had spread to South Africa, Russia, Italy, and Australia. The first asbestos mine in Australia opened in 1880 at Jones Creek, near Gundagai in New South Wales. By the early 1900s, Australia was one of the world's largest producers of asbestos, with major mines in Wittenoom (Western Australia), Baryulgil (NSW), and Woodsreef (NSW).
The versatility of asbestos seemed limitless. It was spun into yarn and woven into cloth, mixed with cement to create lightweight yet incredibly strong building sheets, pressed into brake pads, used as insulation for steam engines and boilers, and even incorporated into household items like oven gloves and ironing board covers.
In 1899, a British doctor named Dr. H. Montague Murray recorded the first documented case of asbestosis (then called "fibrosis of the lungs") in a factory worker. However, this early warning would go largely ignored for decades.
The 20th century saw asbestos use explode on a massive scale. From the 1920s through to the 1980s, asbestos was used in thousands of products across virtually every industry. It was hailed as the "miracle mineral" — cheap, abundant, and seemingly perfect for the modern world.
During World War II, asbestos use in ships, aircraft, and military equipment soared. After the war, the housing boom saw asbestos cement sheeting (known in Australia as "fibro") become the dominant building material for homes. In Queensland alone, it is estimated that tens of thousands of homes built before 1990 contain asbestos in some form.
In Australia, the James Hardie company (originally founded in 1888) became the dominant manufacturer of asbestos cement products. Their "Fibrolite" sheeting was used in roughly one in three Australian homes built between the 1940s and 1980s.
By the 1960s and 1970s, the health evidence was becoming impossible to ignore. Dr. Irving Selikoff's landmark 1964 study of asbestos workers in the United States showed alarmingly high rates of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Yet the industry pushed back, and asbestos use continued in many countries — including Australia — well into the 1980s.
Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related disease in the world. For decades, Wittenoom in Western Australia was the site of one of the largest crocidolite (blue asbestos) mines in the southern hemisphere. The blue asbestos from Wittenoom is considered the most deadly form of the mineral.
Australia finally banned blue and brown asbestos in the mid-1980s, but white asbestos (chrysotile) continued to be used in building products until a complete national ban came into effect on 31 December 2003. Australia was one of the last industrialised nations to implement a full ban.
Today, the legacy of Australia's asbestos history remains. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency estimates that approximately 4,000 Australians die each year from asbestos-related diseases — more than the national road toll. Mesothelioma, a cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure, continues to claim lives decades after exposure.
For Queensland homeowners, this history is not just academic. If your home was built before 1990, there is a high likelihood it contains asbestos materials. Knowing where asbestos came from helps us understand why it's so widespread — and why professional removal is essential.
The story of asbestos is a cautionary tale of how a seemingly miraculous material can have devastating long-term consequences. What the ancients observed but didn't fully understand — the lung diseases suffered by slaves who worked with the fibre — was ignored by modern industry for nearly a century after the first medical evidence emerged.
Today, the asbestos that remains in millions of Australian homes is a sleeping danger. As long as it is undisturbed and in good condition, it poses minimal risk. But during renovations, demolitions, or when it deteriorates, those ancient fibres can become airborne — and that's when they become deadly. If you suspect your home contains asbestos, contact a licensed professional for inspection and removal. Never attempt to handle or remove it yourself.
If your Queensland home was built before 1990, it may contain asbestos. Little Demo Asbestos Removal is a licensed Class B asbestos removalist serving the Moreton Bay, Brisbane North, and Sunshine Coast regions. Contact us today for a free inspection and quote.