AVA was founded in 2000, following a television interview with a man whose health was declining due to asbestos exposure many years earlier. He was working at the James Hardie factory in Elizabeth, but he couldn’t get compensation because Hardie’s lawyers, said he hadn’t worked there. Colin Arthur was able to vouch for him because they had both worked at Hardie at the same time.
The inaugural driving force was Colin Arthur, who did so with great passion. He started working from his house in Salisbury North and later, with the help of the AMWU, set up an office for AVA in their building on Greenhill Road. AVA has been based at 60 Waymouth Street since 2007.
In 2003, when Colin’s health was declining, Terry Miller took over as President. Terry held this position until his death from asbestosis in 2018. Over the years Terry helped countless people, both those who were exposed to asbestos and their loved ones, and the number of people who became part of the Adelaide-based AVA team and its committee began to grow into the organisation which has continued to this day.
Soon after, branches were established in Whyalla, by John Arthur, and in Port Augusta by Geoff Maul.
Even though AVA began as a free support service for people with asbestos-related diseases, it soon became apparent that there was a lack of awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure in the general population. This prompted more community meetings to provide such information to the public.
AVA successfully campaigned in South Australia for proper compensation and support. It has been instrumental in many achievements, including the Xenophon legislation to streamline and increase compensation payments to South Australians, and the successful campaign to get James Hardie to compensate its victims adequately.
In 2005, an asbestos memorial at Pitman Park in Salisbury was established. Both Salisbury and Whyalla now hold memorial services on the last Friday of November each year. Whyalla’s memorial is held at Mount Laura Homestead.
