Over yonder

Author: Robert Harkness

HARKNESS, ROBERT (b. Bendigo, Vic, 2 March 1880; d. London, 8 May 1961). Hymnwriter and evangelist. Robert was the son of Abraham and Jane Elizabeth Harkness, two staunch Methodists and deeply committed Christians. He was educated at Bendigo, worked for a short time in a printing firm and then in his father's foundry. At a very early age he displayed a remarkable musical ability on the piano and organ, and soon began to compose hymns. The whole direction of his life changed in 1902 when the Torrey-Alexander Mission team visited Bendigo. His brilliant piano playing immediately caught the attention of Charles M Alexander, the mission's song leader, who arranged for him to join the mission group. Several months later he dedicated his life c… Go to person page >