Researching Henry Skinner

Born in England on 12 July 1854, Harrie came with his parents to Sydney around 1870, moving on to settle in Melbourne. From there he found a secure bank job in a small Victorian town, but a life in banking was not for him. At the age of around 21 he ran off "to join the circus" – Cooper and Bailey's Great American International Circus was thrilling Australia at that time, with a tour that included its big top on the site of today's Melbourne Arts Centre in 1877. The young Mr Skinner was attracted by the money to be made touring during that gold rush period. He later claimed to be making as much as £150 a week—but also losing it almost as rapidly.

According to his 1936 obituary in The Truth, Harrie went on to run various sideshows, becoming a manager for the great Harrie Rickards, who practically controlled the variety stage in Australia until 1911. Harrie Skinner piloted such celebrities as the US Minstrels, Ada Ward and Millie Walton and the Fakir of Oolu (actually an English magician called Sylvester, who performed Indian-style levitations). It is likely that Harrie introduced the gramophone to Sydney with a stage performance in mind – the first gramophones were pitted against live musicians in theatre.

But RACA's founder had still more strings to his bow. He was in Sydney as early as 1878, when he took control of the Pier Hotel in Manly, and afterwards the Tivoli in Castlereagh Street and the Agincourt in George Street (he was a great opponent of six o'clock closing). For 11 years from 1882 he published Skinner's NSW Gazetteer, detailing timetables, postal and telegraph information according to the Evening News "replete with all information commonly found in such publications and much that is not". The Gazetteer was a success, but foundered when the Commissioners for Railways began publishing their own timetables "at about one fourth of the cost of production".

He also laid an overland telegraph from Ulladulla to Batemans Bay, under government contract.

His theatrical management continued, with 27 years spent as the sole manager of the Palace Theatre, and some time as acting manager of the Tivoli. With his eye for spectacle, Harrie was the only businessman who agreed to back a foreign aviator who arrived in Sydney claiming he would build a machine that would flap its wings and fly. Harrie charged thousands of spectators 6d each to see the machine during its construction in a Castlereagh Street allotment, and interest reached fever pitch following a trial run with a donkey engine and the construction of a runway down one of the hills over Chowder Bay. Ferry boats kept a cautious distance below, with all the passengers paying the promoters for the privilege of their close-up view.

While the would-be aviator was keen to go, Harrie had few illusions as to the likelihood of success and, fearing for the life of the pilot, arranged for the chocks holding the machine to be deliberately kicked out. The machine rolled down the hill without a pilot, hitting the water with a great splash and sinking like a stone. The machine's builder was distraught, despite his share of the takings, and stories were placed in the newspapers about "ruffians from Woolloomooloo" sabotaging the flight. Impressive showmanship indeed!