The paper outlines a brief history of the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) research laboratories in the development of High Damping Natural Rubber (HDNR) isolators from its early stages of applied research up to nowadays when base-isolation using such components can arguably be claimed to be a mature industry. It begins by describing how research at MRB during early fifties led to the development of rubber-steel laminated bearings for bridges and describe how their use was extended in sixties to isolate buildings from ground borne vibrations due to railway and road traffic. Over the last 40 years, MRB research activities have been directed towards the use of rubber-steel laminated bearings for the protection of structures from earthquake. The paper will then cover MRB research findings in this area undertaken through in-house, national and internationally funded projects. Supporting international standards committees in the development of codes for seismic protection of buildings and structures using base-isolation has been an important activity for MRB in the promotion of base isolation. Its other significant efforts have been the technical support in 6 demonstration buildings in Indonesia, Chile, China, Armenia, Malaysia and Algeria. In recent years MRB has been involved in two major projects; one seismic isolation of some 150 apartment’s blocks in a new township southwest of Tehran-Iran and the other base-isolation of the Second Penang Bridge.