Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (Aus./UK, also skibbo) a house-painter.

1890		Kipling ‘Letters on Leave’ in Pioneer (1909) 205: He is a ** skibbo ^* by trade — a painter of sorts.
1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 137: SKIBO: a nickname for house-painters: mostly used in an unmeaning cry, ‘Skibo, twig the bear.’.

2. (US Und.) an East Asian person; occas. an African American [? skibby n.].

1950

Goldin et al. DAUL 195/2: Skibo. 1. An Oriental. 2. (Rare) A Negro.