page_title: Tom Skinner
hierarchical_section_title: Tom Skinner
caption_attribution_description: This is the star of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. This particular example is the breast star of a knight or dame of grace of the Order. This example comes from my personal collection.
context_page_description: Sir Thomas Edward Skinner KBE was a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader.
  Sir Tom served as President of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour from 1959 until 1979. Skinner was known as a conciliatory and accommodating political leader, and in the 1970s he was seen as the voice of unionism in New Zealand. He served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the International Labour Organization. He was instrumental in founding the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, and was knighted in 1976.
context_section_description: Sir Thomas Edward Skinner KBE (18 April 1909 – 11 November 1991) was a New Zealand politician and Trades Union leader.
  Sir Tom served as President of the Auckland Trades Council from 1954 to 1976, and President of the New Zealand Federation of Labour from 1959 until 1979. Skinner was known as a conciliatory and accommodating political leader, and in the 1970s he was seen as the voice of unionism in New Zealand. He served on several international union forums, including a spell as a member of the body controlling the International Labour Organization. He was instrumental in founding the Shipping Corporation of New Zealand, and was knighted in 1976.
caption: KStJ insignia
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery 6.0.6001.18000", "Image DateTime": "2008:10:07 18:15:09", "Image ExifOffset": "2202", "Image Padding": "[]", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "C0E5BB8EAA8346CBB6F01CE50E4EA605", "EXIF Padding": "[]"}