John Powell Harding died suddenly on 14th June, 1956, in Newquay, Cornwall, at the age of 70.
Mr. Harding was born in London and received his training at the Royal School of Mines from 1907 to 1910, gaining the Associateship of the School and the De La Beche Medal. He went immediately to the Transvaal on an I.M.M. post-graduate course throughout 1911 at Consolidated Langlaagte Mines, Ltd., and remained with that company until April, 1918, having held the positions of assistant sampler, chief sampler, shift boss and mine captain. On joining the New Kleinfontein Co., Ltd., Mr. Harding was underground manager for seven months and acting manager for six months before being appointed general manager in 1919, a post which he held for thirteen years until June, 1932.
Before his appointment as assistant technical adviser to the Transvaal Chamber of Mines in September, 1933, Mr. Harding carried out special investigations into mining conditions on behalf of the Chamber. He was promoted technical adviser in July, 1937, and retired in July, 1951. From that date until his death he held the position of technical consultant to the Transvaal and Orange Free State Chamber of Mines, and had during the whole of his service with the Chamber served in various capacities on numerous committees and organizations associated with the mining industry in South Africa.
Mr. Harding was elected a Student of the Institution in 1908 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1913 and to Membership in 1922. He was also a member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and of the South African Institution of Engineers.
Vol. 66, Trans IMM 1956-57, p.359
