Sir Harry Ross Skinner died at Aberdeen on August 18th, 1955, at the age of 76.
He was born in Scotland and served a five-year apprenticeship with Messrs. Walker & Beattie, civil engineers and surveyors, of Aberdeen. After spending a year as assistant engineer with that firm, he left for South Africa to take up a post as assistant manager and surveyor with the North East Bultfontein Diamond Co., Kimberley. Two years later, in 1890, he joined the staff of the Durban Roodepoort Gold Mining Co., becoming general manager and consulting engineer in 1902, a post which he occupied until 1917.
In 1903 he visited California, British Columbia, Japan, and China, as Special Labour Commissioner for the Transvaal Mining Industry, to report on the possibility of introducing Asiatic labour into the Witwatersrand. He was technical director and consulting engineer to East Rand Proprietary Mines from 1911 to 1914, and a director of the Central Mining mid Investment Corporation from 1916 to 1923.
During the South African War he served as captain in the Rand Rifles, receiving the Queen’s Medal, and from 1903 to 1909 was major and second in command of the Transvaal Scottish Volunteers. He was a member of various Government Commissions in South Africa, and became Director of High Explosives Supply under Lord Moulton 1914-15, and Deputy Director-General of Munitions Inspection 1916-17. For his services he was created a knight in 1917.
Sir Harry Ross Skinner, who was a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, was elected a Member of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy in 1903, and served as Member of Council for South Africa from 1918 to 1923.
Vol. 53, Trans I.M.M., 1943-44, p.439
