Hardinge Hay Cameron was born on 5 August 1846 in Chowringhee, Calcutta, Bengal Province, India, the third son and fourth child of Charles Hay Cameron, British jurist, and Julia Margaret née Pattle, British photographer.
[4] In 1868 he joined the Ceylon Civil Service as a writer, and was appointed as Commissioner of Requests at Haputale.
The following year he served as the acting assistant government agent in Kandy, which was confirmed in April 1872.
He served as the private secretary to Sir William Henry Gregory, Governor of Ceylon, from 1872 to 1877.
Norman McLeod and Catherine Anne née MacKintosh, on 20 September 1879 in Colombo, Ceylon.