AustLit

Arthur John migrated to Australia in 1923 under the Boy Scouts re-settlement scheme for young men. He worked on farms in Queensland and New South Wales until 1927 when he moved to Sydney to work for an engineering firm. In 1931, John accepted a position with Bulolo Gold Dredging. He worked for the company in Australia and in New Guinea until 1941.

During World War II, John served with the army and worked with the Australian Army Education Service with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan following the war. He retired from the army in 1961 when he took up teaching and, later, writing. John's obituarist, Michael Waterhouse, notes: 'While never intended for a wide audience, [John's] books display a crisp command of English and a remarkable memory for facts'.

Source: Michael Waterhouse, 'Erudite Centenarian Touched by History', Saturday Age, (12 May 2012): 39.