Skiffington

Death Of Mr. T. P.

End of Colourful and Adventurous Life

MR. T. P. SKIFFINGTON died in Lae on January 31, as the result of an accident. This tribute to a fine New Guinea pioneer is supplied by Mr. A. H.

Cresswell, of Rabaul: I met him first more than a quarter of a century ago. He was even then known as “Old Tom Skiff.” No one knew his age and to this day, I, his closest friend, do not know, although his bat talion mates had the idea that it was on his sixtieth birthday that he was wounded at Messines Ridge in 1917.

Born in the New England District of NSW, he led an interesting roving life, mining gold, tin, gems and rare metals.

He took a camel train from Adelaide to Coolgardie (WA) before the Trans continental Railway was opened, and an other from Oodnadatta to the Katharine.

He was the mailman so vividly described by Mrs. A. Gunn in “We of the Never- Never.”

A fine soldier, who volunteered for every job going, he served with the 42nd Batt., AIF, from the day it was formed until it was disbanded. Then he re mained on in France with the Graves Unit, to bury his dead cobbers.

After his return to Australia he went to the Anakie gem fields (Qld.) with some success and he moved, to New Guinea in 1923, being successively manager of Mokerang, Sopa Sopa and Kessa Plantations, until he returned to goldmining at Morobe in 1931. He was employed at Edie Creek until just* prior to the Invasion.

Returning to Edie after the wai), he was employed by the Day Dawn Mine,

where he received the injury that caused his death in Lae Hospital on January 31, 1949.

Of Thomas Patrick Skifiington a mutual friend, writing of his death, said; “Should there be any hereafter, and any front seats being handed out, Tom should be entitled to one in the very front row.”