January 20th, 2005

The man at the forefront of the James Hardie compensation claims campaign has died at the age of seventy-eight. Fred Gibbs’ face had appeared on posters and literature all around the world, as he fought the battle against the disgraced products manufacturer, which has yet to pay many people and millions of dollars in compensation to those affected by using the firm’s asbestos products.

Fred Gibbs had been fighting the effects of mesothelioma for some time, but this had never deterred him from pushing James Hardie to pay compensation to the many sufferers that had become ill or died from using the firm’s products. James Hardie recently agreed to pay compensation to its victims, and the family of Mr Gibbs have expressed how happy they are that he got to see this triumph before he died.

A friend, Vicky Hamilton, said: "He said to me a week ago, just before he died, 'did I make a difference?' And I held his hand and I said, 'yes, you did.'" Other friends have expressed how relieved they are that Fred managed to see success before he finally lost his life. Mr Gibbs contracted his disease after sending twenty years working at a power station in the Latrobe Valley. He leaves behind his wife and three children.