Australian Actor Harold Tompkins Dies After Battle With Mesothelioma

Harold Tompkins was a beloved Australian actor, most well-known in the U.S. for his role in the film Gallipoli, died after he battled the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer, which causes tumors to grow on the delicate lining in the chest cavity. Asbestos is the known cause of this disease and many people throughout the world will die from this cancer on an annual basis. It takes a few decades after exposure for the asbestos-related diseased to manifest. Mesothelioma attorneys have championed for the victims of this disease for a number of decades.

Tompkins contracted mesothelioma as a teenager working with asbestos sheeting as a carpenter’s apprentice in Queensland in the early 60s. He was diagnosed this past May.

Tompkins was featured in the films Gallipoli, Don’s Party and The Club. He also appeared in numerous Australian television shows.

Since the 80s, countries like Australia, the U.S. and Canada have placed tight regulations on the use of asbestos, which is a naturally occurring mineral. The ban on the prevalent use came in the wake of numerous illnesses and lawsuits filed by mesothelioma lawyers. In Great Britain, asbestos is completely banned for use, but in Australia and the U.S. the material is still in use.

The general public was made aware of how dangerous asbestos is early in the twentieth century, but it took years for health professionals and mesothelioma attorneys to have heavy restrictions placed on the mineral, helping many people avoid contracting the terrible illness.