Don Harkness archive

Donald James Harkness, pioneer in the Australian automotive and aeronautical industries, racing driver and record breaker, was born in Leichhardt, NSW in December 1898. On leaving school he became an apprentice in general engineering. At the age of 20 he secured employment at J.C. Hillier's garage at Drummoyne and in 1922 the partnership of Harkness & Hillier Pty Ltd was formed.

Harkness developed an interest in motor racing and in 1924 he imported an Overland chassis which he modified extensively. In this car (christened "Whitey") Harkness won about 50 events at the Penrith and Maroubra tracks and at Gerringong's Seven Mile Beach during 1925.

An offer of a £50 trophy by the Daily Guardian for the first person in Australia to break 100 m.p.h. for a measured mile, prompted Harkness to build a new car using a Minerva chassis and a Hispano Suiza aero engine. He won the trophy attaining 108 m.p.h. at Gerringong on 17 October 1925.

Harkness was approached by racing driver Norman Leslie 'Wizard' Smith (1890-1958) and former Lord Mayor of Sydney Jack Mostyn to build a car for Smith's attempts to break the Australasian one mile and the world ten mile records. The result was the "Anzac" with a Rolls Royce aero engine and a Cadillac chassis. Following the creation of an Australian record of 128.571 miles (206.909 kilometres) per hour at Gerringong, the team took the "Anzac" to Ninety Mile (Kaitaia) Beach, New Zealand, where it achieved an unofficial record 148 miles (238 kilometres) per hour.

Harkness undertook to design and build a car at cost to break the one mile record. A syndicate was formed - Smith, Mostyn, Jim James and Harkness. The car was named the "F.H. Stewart Enterprise" after its sponsor Sir Frederick Stewart. It had a borrowed Napier engine from a Schneider seaplane. On January 26 1932, the car achieved 164.084 miles (264.06 kilometres) per hour breaking the world record for 10 miles. Smith then decided to radically alter the car's cooling system and Harkness left New Zealand in disgust. The 1 mile for which it was built was not attempted.

Harkness participated in hill climbs and joined other early motoring pioneers in trips round Australia from east to west and from Sydney to Darwin in the 1920s and 30s. Harkness abandoned racing after a narrow escape in 1935 when he was almost enveloped in flames.

Harkness had an early interest in aviation. Harkness & Hillier serviced aero-engines such as the Anzani, Gnome, Le Rhône, Clerget, Renault, and Hispano-Suiza and became the distributor of Avro Avian and Percival Gull planes. In 1928 Harkness designed and fitted an aero engine for a hydroglider to be used on the Fly River, Papua New Guinea. In 1929 he designed and built the Hornet No.101 aero engine, a four cylinder-in-line water-cooled unit developing 115 horse power at 2000 revolution per minute. The engine was installed in a "Genairco" plane designed by George Boehm, built by General Aircraft Company, tested by Captain Bill Leggatt and released on 21 November 1930. It was the first Australian built engine to pass the Commonwealth Government's airworthiness type test.

Harkness & Hillier Pty Ltd, aeronautical and automotive engineers, moved from Bridge (later Victoria) Road, Drummoyne to Parramatta Road, Five Dock in 1924. In the early years , the firm specialised in the rebuilding of engines; regrinding old cylinders; and the replacement of pistons, rings, etc. They made crankshafts, cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, gear box cases, pistons, axle shafts and other smaller parts. In 1924 the firm took over the manufacture of the Australia Six car. The firm also built stationary and marine engines, timber jinkers, and gas producers.

D.J. Harkness was made an Honorary Associate of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in 1968 for services rendered to the Museum's Department of Transport and Engineering. He donated many motoring and aviation objects, provided the Museum with many valuable contacts in the fields of motoring and aviation and assisted in the restoration of the Museum's Australia Six car and Bleriot monoplane.

Mr. Harkness died on 11 November 1972.