Lauded ABC journalist Matt Peacock has died, according to journalist Quentin Dempster. The writer reports that Peacock “died at Royal North Shore Hospital (in Sydney, Australia) after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.” He was 72.
Peacock was a well-known figure through his televised reports and written work in Australia, much of which was done for the Australia Broadcasting Corporation. He dedicated most of his career to exposing the dangers of asbestos. His book Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed chronicles Peacock’s investigation into manufacturer James Hardie Industries. Per the official synopsis, the book “reveals how James Hardie concealed an asbestos tragedy likely to kill or maim an estimated 20,000 Australians.”
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ABC notably adapted Killer Company into the mini-series Devil’s Dust. Actor Ewen Leslie portrayed Peacock in the show.
An obituary on an ABC alumni site honored Peacock while also shedding some light on the health woes that caused his death. The former ABC correspondent “underwent radical cardiac surgery last year before his recent devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer with secondaries in his liver.” In his final days, ABC alums visited him at Royal North Shore Hospital to show support.
“Above all, his greatest and most profound legacy is his unrelenting 30 years of work in exposing asbestosis against formidable vested interests, which was pivotal in helping to save countless lives in Australia and worldwide,” the tribute read. “Public consciousness about the lethality of ‘dust’ diseases recently also resulted in the prohibition of a product and process known to cause silicosis. Matt Peacock was the investigative journalist and broadcaster who put the dangers to human health posed by popular products like asbestos on the public agenda, here and internationally.”
