George Francis Skingle

Born 1 March 1907Education 1918 – 1923 Leith Industrial School, 57 Lochend Road, Leith, ScotlandOccupation 1923 Joiner Residence 35 Shorrolds Road, Fulham, LondonEmigration 4 Oct 1923 Port of London to Adelaide on the SS Balranald. One of the Barwell BoysArrival/Residence 20 Nov 1923 - Minlaton, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Farm handResidence 26 Aug 1924 - Rosebank Farm, Port Victoria (aka Wauraltee), Yorke Peninsula, SouthAustralia.Disappearance 23 March 1925 - Adelaide, South Australia

In 1918, at the age of 11, George was sent into the care of a Superintendent Mr A S Nelson at LeithIndustrial School (formerly one of the Victorian Ragged Schools Institutions for destitute and poor children), 57 Lochend Road, Leith, Scotland. At Leith he completed an apprenticeship in joining andturning and returned to London in 1923 residing at 35 Shorrolds Road, Fulham, London, though hismother’s residence was at 48a Wardo Avenue, Fulham, London. His occupation in 1923 is given as a joiner.35 Shorrolds Road 48a Wardo Avenue

On 29 June 1923 George applied, with the permission of his mother, Mary Skingle, to migrate toAustralia and on 17 July 1923 at Australia House he was given a medical and signed up to engage infarm work in Australia. He finally signed the South Australia Immigration Amendment Act 1913 on 17August 1923 at the age of 16 years and 5 months, to become one of the ‘Barwell Boys’.

(1)A number of references were provided; one from the Church Army Overseas Settlement Passenger and Shipping Bureau describes him as ‘a boy of good character’ and another, from an F W Webb, theIndustrial Schools Officer, of the London County Council, who had know the family since 1916, andwhich attests to the fact that ‘during the time his father was at the war he truanted and got into badcompany and was sent to a school’ but that ‘given an opportunity he would prove his worth’. A memodate 9 June 1923 from Leith Industrial School’s Superintendent, Mr A S Nelson, describes him as, ‘asmart, well behaved boy’, ‘well educated and fairly expert at the trade of wood turning’, ‘and has aslight knowledge of garden work’.Leith Industrial School (Lochend Rd., Leith, Scotland - now modern apartments)George, having been accepted, had his £22 passage and £2 landing fees paid for him by theAustralian Government as a loan, with an additional £11 contributed by the Commonwealth and O.S.O.George sailed on the 4th October 1923 on P & O’s SS ‘Balranald’ from the Port of London arriving inAdelaide on the 20