Mervyn Skipper worked for the Eastern Extension Cable Co. (1902-24), spending time in Borneo and the Malay States, an experience which informed some of his later writing. Skipper was the Melbourne representative of the Bulletin and wrote for the Lone Hand and other publications.
In 1933 he left the Bulletin to establish the little magazine Pandemonium, but when the magazine ceased production after only twelve issues, he returned to the Bulletin and was its art and drama critic from 1956 until his death. During this period Skipper and his family had developed a close association with the painter Jurgus Jorgensen at the artists' colony Montsalvat. The notorious reputation of the colony subsequently hindered Skipper's career in journalism due to the disapproval of the Bulletin's editor.
While he wrote many short stories, Skipper is best-known for the children's books, The Meeting-Pool (1929) and The White Man's Garden (1930). A collection of stories collected during Skipper's time in Borneo, they have been translated into several European languages.
