Skip to main content

Professor Saint Memorial Award

The Annual Emeritus Professor Eric G. Saint Memorial Award was created by the ADSA 31 years ago to honour those whose who contribute to relieving suffering, improving workplace safety, promoting awareness, and making profound changes to regulation, law, and an asbestos safe society.

In 1947 Professor Saint, a former WW2 air force officer and pilot, joined the flying doctor service in the Pilbara. Professor Saint, “appalled” at the working conditions and the amount of dust in the Australian Blue Asbestos (ABA) mine at Wittenoom, wrote to the Commissioner of Public Health Department of Western Australia Dr Cecil Cook, warning of the serious health risk to the workers, including the likelihood they would develop asbestosis. Professor Saint wrote:

“The asbestos mine at Wittenoom, let the record state, operates without any sort of dust extractor whatsoever. In a year or two, ABA will produce the richest and most lethal crop of asbestosis cases in the world’s literature.”

Award Recipients

YearRecipientPositionDedication
Year:

1993
Recipient:

Sue Morey AM
Position:

Nurse Practitioner
Dedication:

In recognition of special and caring dedication to patients with asbestos diseases

Year:

1994
Recipient:

Debbie Taylor
Position:
Dedication:

In recognition of a caring wife and mother of three infants her husband suffering from mesothelioma died at 31 years of age

Year:

1995
Recipient:

Dr Jim McNulty AM
Position:

Commission for Health WA
Dedication:

Caring doctor specialising in occupational lung diseases who made numerous warnings to asbestos mining industry

Year:

1996
Recipient:

Professor Arthur William Musk AM
Position:

Respiratory Specialist and Epidemiologist
Dedication:

World authority on occupational lung diseases

Year:

1996
Recipient:

Professor Bruce Robinson
Position:

Respiratory Specialist and Epidemiologist; Director of NCARD
Dedication:

World authority on mesothelioma

Year:

1997
Recipient:

Rose Marie Vojakovic AM
Position:

ADSA Senior Counsellor and Office Manager
Dedication:

Dedicated and caring counsellor of ADSA members and their families

Year:

1998
Recipient:

Peter Gordon
Position:

Senior Partner Slater and Gordon National
Dedication:
Year:

1999
Recipient:

Dr Greg Deleuil AM
Position:

General Practitioner and ADSA Medical Officer
Dedication:

Dedicated GP specialising in asbestos diseases, provided care and treatments to thousands of asbestos diseases victims and their families

Year:

1999
Recipient:

Maris Deleuil
Position:

Healthcare Professional
Dedication:

Caring and dedicated health care professional assisting Dr Deleuil with patient care

Year:

2000
Recipient:

Oscar Pennetta
Position:

Inaugral member of the ADSA and former Vice-President
Dedication:

Caring and dedicated volunteer

Year:

2001
Recipient:

Gerrit (Gary) Van Burgel OAM
Position:

ADSA South West Representative
Dedication:

Caring and dedicated volunteer providing assistance to members of the ADSA in the South West of WA

Year:

2002
Recipient:

Robert Vojakovic AM
Position:

ADSA President
Dedication:

Dedicated volunteer and researcher assisting asbestos diseases sufferers with medical/legal issues

Year:

2003
Recipient:

Luisa Formato
Position:
Dedication:

Dedicated and caring legal practitioner specialising in asbestos diseases litigation

Year:

2004
Recipient:

Antonella Conte
Position:

ADSA Community Development Officer
Dedication:

Dedicated and caring staff member and Community Development Officer providing care and assistance to ADSA members

Year:

2005
Recipient:

Dave Hall
Position:

ADSA Vice-President
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedicated efforts in the struggle for the rights and justice of the asbestos victims and their families

Year:

2006
Recipient:

Naomi Hammon
Position:

Medical Secretary to Professor Musk
Dedication:

In recognition of her compassion, understanding and care extended over many years to countless asbestos disease patients and their families

Year:

2007
Recipient:

Professor Michael Byrne
Position:

Consultant Oncologist
Dedication:

In recognition of his courage and vision for the establishment of medical oncology in western australia and for the compassion, understanding and care he has provided to members of ADSA

Year:

2008
Recipient:

John Gordon
Position:

Senior Counsel Slater and Gordon
Dedication:

Dedicated senior counsel specialising in asbestos diseases litigation, provided valuable legal advice to many asbestos victims and their families

Year:

2009
Recipient:

Barry Watts
Position:

ADSA Secretary and Union Official
Dedication:

In recognition of his extraordinary dedication and effort in the struggle for the rights and justice of the asbestos disease victims and their families

Year:

2010
Recipient:

Professor Keith Shilkin
Position:

Head of Histopathology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Dedication:

In honour of his outstanding achievements in the field of diagnositc pathology for the benefit of the Australian community

Year:

2011
Recipient:

Bruce Grattan Horgan
Position:

ADSA Occupational Health and Safety Officer
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedicated service to the Australian community in his voluntary capacity as Occupational Health and Safety Officer with the ADSA for the past 30 years

Year:

2012
Recipient:

Laurie Kazan-Allen
Position:

Coordinator International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS)
Dedication:

In recognition of her dedicated commitment to free the world of the asbestos scourge and her compassionate support for asbestos diseases victims

Year:

2013
Recipient:

Philip Anthony Toia
Position:

ADSA Committee Member
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedicated commitment to the ADSA and asbestos diseases victims and their families

Year:

2014
Recipient:

Professor Anna Nowak
Position:

Medical Oncologist
Dedication:

In recognition of her visionary and innovative approach to oncology, treatment, and for the compassion, understanding, and excellence in care she tirelessly provides to asbestos diseases sufferers

Year:

2015
Recipient:

Dr Peter Leaver
Position:

Radiologist, SKG Radiology
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedicated and compassionate approach to identify and characterise the early process of asbestos caused diseases facilitating early intervention and better patient care

Year:

2016
Recipient:

Stephenson Arthur Aiberti
Position:

ADSA Committee Member
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedication to the support of asbestos diseases sufferers and their families

Year:

2017
Recipient:

Dr Helen Clayson
Position:

GP and Director of Barrow Asbestos Related Disease Support (BARDS)
Dedication:

In recognition of her visionary and innovative approach to supporting patient their families and medical professionals in the management of malignant mesothelioma

Year:

2018
Recipient:

Hon. Kate Doust MLC
Position:

President of the Legislative Council; Member for South Metropolitan Region
Dedication:

In recognition of her compassionate understanding and dedication to achieve fair and just compensatory entitlements for Western Australian asbestos diseases victims and their families

Year:

2019
Recipient:

Col. Rod Willox AM
Position:
Dedication:

In recognition of thirty years of assistance, substantive contribution, valuable advice and input on many important endeavours of the ADSA

Year:

2020
Recipient:

Dr Sue Ulreich
Position:

CEO SKG Radiology
Dedication:

In recognition of her dedicated leadership in providing leading-edge diagnostic screening services for those sadly affected by asbestos diseases

Year:

2021
Recipient:

Professor Gary Lee
Position:

Head of Pleural Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedication to the development of respiratory treatments to enhance the quality of life of patients affected by asbestos diseases, his work on national and international training in the treatment of asbestos diseases, and the kind support of patients in his care

Year:

2022
Recipient:

Professor Richard Lake
Position:

Senior Research Fellow ay NCARD
Dedication:

In recognition of his dedication and extensive work in mesothelioma research and immunogene therapy

Year:

2023
Recipient:

Hon. Ernie Bridge AM MLA
Position:

Former Minister for Agriculture, Water Resources and North-West
Dedication:

For preventing the loss of lives to deadly asbestos diseases by withdrawing government services to Wittenoom – Australia’s worst industrial disaster

Year:

2024
Recipient:

Dr Wee Loong (Melvin) Chin
Position:

Oncologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Dedication:

In recognition of his kind support for patients in his care, his dedication and expertise in mesothelioma cancer treatment, and his leadership in new research to enhance and extend survivorship of patients affected by asbestos caused cancers.