Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

SKIPPER John Stark AM MB BS FRCOG FRACOG

1921 –

John Stark Skipper was born on 13th October 1921 in Adelaide.  He was one of three sons of lawyer Herbert Stanley Skipper CBE and Kathleen, nee Beach. Skipper’s father served in the AIF in WW1 and continued in the CMF as a legal officer from 1919 until 1940 reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  Skipper’s brother, Justin, was in the 2/27th Bn and killed in action during WW2 at Kokoda, Papua New Guinea. The Skipper family came to South Australia in 1836. His great grandfather, John Michael Skipper, a lawyer, attorney and proctor of the South Australian Supreme Court, was a well-known amateur artist. His valuable paintings of the early settlement of South Australia are held in the Art Gallery of South Australia and in private hands.  Skipper was educated at the Queen’s School and St Peter’s College, where he played in the 1st XV111 football, was a house prefect of Hawkes House and served in the school cadets. He went to the University of Adelaide in 1939 to study medicine, graduating in 1944.

Skipper joined the AAMC on 18th July 1945 as a Captain.  He recalls that all his graduating cohort from university ‘joined up’ at the time. He was posted to BCOF, Japan in February 1946, but, before leaving, he married Elizabeth (Betsy) Holden on 12th February 1946. They were to have two children Robert (Rob) and Elizabeth (Toffee).  Skipper reflects that his time in Japan was relatively uneventful, he was posted to 130 AGH, situated on the island Etajima, near Kure. The hospital was in the original Japanese Naval Headquarters. This was a general hospital treating Army Personnel only and he rotated through all specialities.  He was posted to 65th Bn for several months which he found a very enjoyable posting. During this time he had the opportunity to travel by the bullet train to climb Mount Fuji.  This he described as being extremely arduous but he was gratified to have achieved it. A severe earthquake occurred late, in 1946, and he was detailed to assess damage caused by the tsunami along the coast, travelling by a Japanese fishing vessel, the roads being impassable. Skipper returned from Japan in October 1947, and continued in the CMF for a few more years.  He was issued the 1939–1945 War Medal, the Australian Service Medal 1945-1975, the BCOF Japan Medal 1946–1952 and the Australian Defence Medal.

Skipper resumed his civilian medical career in 1948 as a registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the QVMH and at the RAH. He then undertook four years of general medical practice in North Adelaide until, in 1955, he travelled to the United Kingdom and the United States for post graduate study.  Whilst in England after passing his MRCOG examination and gaining postgraduate experience at the West Middlesex Hospital in London, it was suggested to him that he should study gynaecological oncology. He took that advice and applied to undertake a six week intensive course on cytology at the Hammersmith Hospital, London. This began his lifelong professional interest in gynaecological oncology which was to make a difference to the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological cancer in South Australia. After completing this intensive course he was fortunate enough to travel to America to gain further experience at the New York Hospital under the tutelage of Dr George Papanicolaou, who had shown that cancer, from a cervical-vaginal smear, could be diagnosed by seeing the malignant cells under the microscope. Skipper travelled extensively through America, meeting leading gynaecologists specialising in oncology and gaining more experience to bring back to Australia.

Skipper commenced private practice on his return to Australia in March 1957.  He was determined to convince the currently practicing gynaecologists the value of taking, what is now known as ‘Pap’ smears, from all their patients. He had extensive negotiations with IMVS to provide a cytological service. This resulted in him being appointed an honorary research assistant with the IMVS. He was then appointed a clinical assistant to the Gynaecological department at the RAH in 1961, where he was able to put into practice the collection of smear tests, and identified several positive smears.  At the same time it was recommended that a cytological service be commenced at TQEH in association with Professor Lloyd Cox.  Skipper was appointed as a part-time cytologist in this service. Skipper’s determined insistence on the value of the ground breaking cytological examination of the cervix, led to the early diagnosis of cancer in women which had hitherto been unrecognised on clinical examination.  He championed the incorporation of oncology into the Gynaecology Department at the RAH and the appointment of Dr Margaret Davey as its chief gynaecological oncologist. Skipper continued as Senior Visiting Gynaecologist at the RAH until his official retirement in 1987.  He was immediately re-appointed as Senior Visiting Gynaecologist Emeritus to the RAH and continued to undertake research and work in gynaecological oncology, until 1996.  Skipper was also appointed to the RGH at Daw Park, to look after war widows over a period of 25 years, on retirement in 1987 he was awarded the title of Honorary Consulting Gynaecologist to the Repatriation Commission.

Skipper’s long and successful career did not detract from the other interests in his life. He led a medical aid team to Indonesia in May 1979. He was a member of the Australian Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, from 1975 to 1979 and a foundation member of the inaugural Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. In addition, he was a member of several societies which include, the Australian Gynaecological Travellers Society, the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia and the Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Skipper’s contribution to medicine was recognised in 2016, when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia. He has travelled extensively to remote areas of Australia in a private plane visiting many Aboriginal settlements. He had a farm at Mount Compass for twenty years.  He is passionate about billiards, a one-time champion player of the Adelaide and the Naval, Military and Air Force clubs. He maintains an active interest in golf, famously playing a round at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club in less than his age, tennis and bridge. A competent amateur artist, he studied under David Dridan and the Central School of Art. His wife Betsy died in 2018. John Stark Skipper, a charming and gentle man lives in North Adelaide.