Richard Dacre HARMAN [35947]

  General Notes:

The Harman family originally hailed from Ireland, but emigrated to New Zealand with the Canterbury Association on board the Sir George Seymour in 1850. Richard Dacre Harman was born in New Zealand in 1859, the son of Emma de Renzy and Richard James Strachan Harman. R.J.S. Harman was a civil engineer who had been articled to Mr George and Sir John Rennie of London. He became a prominent local body politician serving on numerous boards and councils, including the Canterbury Provincial Government.

Richard Dacre Harman attended Christ's College from 1869 to 1877, where he probably came to know his future colleague John James Collins. After completing his schooling, Harman became articled to W.B. Armson, and later joined forces with J.J. Collins to purchase William Armson's practice in 1887. The firm then became known as Armson Collins and Harman.

R.D. Harman was apparently a keen sportsman. He was a first class cricket representative for Canterbury from 1883 to 1886, as were two of his brothers. Harman also became the New Zealand lawn tennis singles champion in 1891, as well as clinching the doubles championship for several years running with Frederick Wilding, the father of Anthony Wilding.

Without any doubt, Harman must have been fit and somewhat immune to pain, as the firm's history relates that he would use a penny farthing to cycle about the countryside supervising construction work.

Harman married Alice Sidney Spooner in 1894/1895. Alice Harman was the cooking teacher at Christchurch Girls' High School, and co-authored an important early New Zealand cook book, The New Zealand Domestic Cookery Book in 1900.
Given that Richard Dacre Harman was articled by William Armson, and grew up in the cultural precinct largely designed by Benjamin Mountfort, it is not surprising that he received a thorough grounding in the principles of Gothic design. This is aptly demonstrated in his 1894 design for the second Canterbury Society of Arts (CSA) building, which though plainer than Mountfort's design for the first building, had the practical inclusion of a sprung dance floor which the CSA used to great advantage. With Harman as a partner, the firm of Collins and Harman built up a considerable reputation for their expertise in Gothic Revival, and established an excellent relationship with Canterbury College as college architects.
R.D. Harman's obituary was in the Auckland Star, 1928.

Richard Harman (cricketer)
Personal information
Full name
Richard Dacre Harman
Born3 June 1859
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died26 December 1927 (aged 68)
Christchurch, New Zealand
RelationsR. J. S. Harman (father)
Annesley Harman (brother)
Thomas Harman (brother)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1883\endash 84 to 1896\endash 97Canterbury
Career statistics
CompetitionFirst-class
Matches9
Runs scored135
Batting average8.43
100s/50s0/1
Top score61
Balls bowled12
Wickets0
Bowling average\endash
5 wickets in innings0
10 wickets in match0
Best bowling\endash
Catches/stumpings1/\endash
Source: CricketArchive, 25 April 2019
Richard Dacre Harman (3 June 1859 \endash 26 December 1927) was a New Zealand cricketer, tennis player and architect.

Harman was one of the 15 children of the Canterbury pioneer Richard James Strachan Harman and his wife Emma.
After training as an architect he joined the established Christchurch firm of Armson Collins, and later became partner, when the firm's name changed to Armson, Collins and Harman. While working with the firm he designed many of Christchurch's major buildings.

He was a prominent sportsman. He represented Canterbury at rugby, and played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1884 to 1897. His performances in senior club cricket gave him the "reputation as one of Canterbury's best batsmen", though his first-class batting was less successful. In a club match in December 1881 he scored the first century at the newly-constructed Lancaster Park ground. He also umpired five first-class matches at Lancaster Park between 1887 and 1898.

Harman was one of the leading tennis players in New Zealand. He won the New Zealand men's singles title in 1891\endash 92, and won the doubles title five times between 1887 and 1894 with his partner Frederick Wilding and once with D. Collins in 1895\endash 96. He won the Canterbury Championships singles title six times between 1888 and 1900.
Harman married Alice Spooner in Christchurch in October 1895. He died in December 1927, leaving his widow.