34Sydney 1966-9
Mathers’s account of what happened after he produced his report in 1966 was what Bruce Fraser felt was a convenient reconstruction of events. He doubted anyone could be so forthright about what was only an emerging science or know so much about what happened outside of the factory. The old doctor had, however, been very confident with his account of events in the 1960s.
Bill Kruger, Russell Dymock and Bob Frew sat in Kruger’s orange-coloured office listening to Peter Mathers’s review of the Biological Effects of Asbestos. Even to a layperson and perennial agnostic like Kruger the news was grim.
“There are cases in insulators as well?” He asked Mathers.
“Yes, that was what Dr Selikoff found. But let me finish, Bill.”
“Sorry, Peter, keep on going.”
“As I was saying, cas
