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Postmark, Wittenoom Gorge (E30 type), 1947

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About this object

Postmark from Wittenoom Gorge, black ink, circular, (E30 type), dated 13 November 1947.

Also attached: Newcastle 1797-1947 Coal 5½d Deep Green postage stamp(s).

Object details
Museum accession number
H2020.2781
Type
Postmark
Label Date
13/11/1947
Label Place
Wittenoom Gorge
Style
print letters
Shape
circular
Colour
Black ink
More object details
REGISTRATION LABEL
COVER
Cover media
postage stamp
MARKS & STAMPS
Postmark type
E30
Postage stamp type
Newcastle 1797-1947 Coal 5½d Deep Green
FRONT MARKS
Postmark cancellation
Wittenoom Gorge
Other marks on front

-

REVERSE MARKS
Other marks on reverse

-

Wittenoom Gorge

The legacy of asbestos mining in WA’s far north, 1950-1957

Nestled in the Pilbara region, the far north mining town of Wittenoom where these postmarks were stamped has a dark past.

Caption: Wittenoom Gorge Mine, 1962
Asbestos mines at Wittenoom Gorge, 1962. Credit: Philip Schubert, 2024
White text on a green sign. Sign says WITTENOOM. Houses, scrub, and hills visible in background.
Sign for Wittenoom with the town behind, c.1984. Credit: Image courtesy of the State Library of Western Australia, 149214PD

For three decades, Wittenoom thrived as a national supplier of blue asbestos. Discovered in the area by Lang Hancock in the 1930s, the mineral was prized for its heat resistance and durability; it was used extensively in construction worldwide. In post-war Australia, houses clad in asbestos cement were a common sight, especially in remote areas like Wittenoom.

Black and white photo of a miner drilling a shaft
A miner drilling without respiratory protective equipment in an asbestos mine in Wittenoom in 1958. Credit: Image courtesy of State Library of Western Australia, 000055D
Newspaper clipping
Western Australia was one of only three places worldwide where blue asbestos could be mined, making it a national and global supplier. Credit: 
"Wittenoom Gorge", The West Australian, Perth, 1948, (courtesy of the National Library of Australia, Trove, article identifier 46910466)

But despite its usefulness, researchers discovered the cancer-causing dangers of the mineral in the mid-1950s, around the same time as these letters were sent. By 1966, the Wittenoom mine had closed due to profitability issues, but the damage had already been done. Since then, more than 2,000 former mine workers and residents have died from asbestos-related diseases.

newspaper article
Scrutiny over Wittenoom’s working conditions increased from the late 1960s due to evidence of severe health risks associated with asbestos exposure. Credit: "Wittenoom: Killed by asbestos", Tribune, Sydney, 1978 (courtesy of the National Library of Australia, Trove, article identifier 260215200)
newspaper article
Scrutiny over Wittenoom’s working conditions increased from the late 1960s due to evidence of severe health risks associated with asbestos exposure. Credit: "Wittenoom Caused World's Worst Mesothelioma", Tribune, Sydney, 1987, (courtesy of the National Library of Australia, Trove, article identifier 259555962)

Today, the town has been abandoned. The government declared the area off-limits in 2007 and the final resident moved out in 2023. Except for the occasional foolhardy visitor, the ghost town of Wittenoom stands empty, the largest contaminated area in the southern hemisphere.

Additional reading
  • Klebe, S. (2024, February 24), ‘From a ‘magic mineral’ to the stuff of nightmares: a 6,700-year history of asbestos’, The Conversation, < https://theconversation.com/from-a-magic-mineral-to-the-stuff-of-nightmares-a-6- 700-year-history-of-asbestos-223972>, accessed May 2024 
  • Kember, L. (2022, December 16). The Devastating Asbestos Legacy of Wittenoom, Australia. Asbestos.com. < https://www.asbestos.com/blog/2013/05/24/asbestos-townwittenoom-australia-hundreds-affected >, accessed March 2024 
  • Birch, L & Gorman, V (2021, August 12). ‘Why are people still travelling to asbestosriddled Wittenoom?’ ABC News, < https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-12/asbestosriddled-wittenoom-draws-visitors-despite-health-risks/100369764 >, accessed March 2024 
  • ‘WITTENOOM GORGE’ (1948, May 18). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), p. 8, < http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46910466 >, accessed August 2023 
  • ‘WITTENOOM: Killed by asbestos’ (1978, December 13). Tribune (Sydney, NSW : 1939 - 1991), p. 5, < http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article260215200 >, accessed August 2023 
  • 'Wittenoom Caused World's Worst Mesothelioma', (1987, October 7). Tribune (Sydney, NSW : 1939 - 1991), p. 5., < http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article259555962 >, accessed August 2023
Citations and licences
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum 2025, Postmark, Wittenoom Gorge (E30 type), 1947, accessed 9 May 2025, <https://collections.museum.wa.gov.au/collection/hanekamp-postal-collection/object/77>.
Text licence
Text content on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Image licence
Unless stated otherwise, images on this page are copyright © Western Australian Museum, 2025
Questions or feedback
Enquire about image reuse
If the email links above do not work, please email your feedback/enquiries to reception@museum.wa.gov.au using the subject https://collections.museum.wa.gov.au/collection/hanekamp-postal-collection/object/77

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Hanekamp Postal Collection

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