Albury-based building designer Phil Wilkins forced to retire after cancer diagnosis linked to asbestos

Phil Wilkins' body of work has included plans for large commercial offices, factories, churches, aged care facilities, residential homes, retail shops and cafes, including Albury's Riverdeck Cafe at Noreuil Park, as well as the recent refurbishment of the Globe Hotel building in Dean Street.

He was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma last November, a cancer of the lining of the lung caused through contamination from asbestos dust, after more than two litres of fluid was found on his lungs, and has been given around two years to live.

As a result, Mr Wilkins has made the difficult to decision to close his Albury business of 34 years, Phil Wilkins Building Design, and enjoy the limited time he has left with loved ones.

"The sad thing is there's no definitive incubation period," he said.

"The oncologist tells you it's sometime between the last five and 40 years that you could have an exposure and it could be as simple as walking through a job site kicking up a bit of dust.

"Obviously if you were drilling and sawing it, yes you would have a much higher profile for infection.

"The craziest story I've heard is through my oncologist who was treating the wife of a carpenter who worked with it for 40 years and all she did wash his overalls.

"The hard part about my situation is that pretty much for the first 15 to 18 years, I had no idea that asbestos was as dodgy as it was."

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Mr Wilkins said asbestos was in many older buildings despite it being phased out of construction in the 1980s.

"My message to anyone who has potentially been around asbestos is to get checked," he said.

"Symptoms are as simple as breathlessness, tiredness, loss of weight and chest pain.

"I was walking the dog one day and got puffed really quickly. I'm not the world's fittest bloke, but I can walk the dog without much hassle.

"There's no cure, but I might have some quality of life for a couple of years. I'm lucky I'm able to get treatment locally and the cancer centre has been brilliant."

Mr Wilkins' favourite style is Art Deco, but, incredibly, he has only worked on three projects in that form - the Globe Hotel and two houses, in more than 40 years in the profession.

"I'm lucky in some respects that I will have a very small legacy by some of the stuff we've done that will probably last a few more years," he said.

Mr Wilkins is a self-confessed "car buff" and plans to spend his retirement travelling and sharing some of his knowledge with Albury and District Historical Society.

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