Robert Harbin (born Edward Richard Charles Williams; 12 February 1908 – 12 January 1978)[1] was a South African-born magician and author.

[4] He began performing in music halls under the title "Ned Williams, the Boy Magician from South Africa".

[3] In 1953 Harbin appeared in a minor part as a magician in the film The Limping Man, produced by Cy Endfield.

In 1953, Harbin and a friend of Endfield, Gershon Legman (1917–1999), discovered a common interest in the Japanese art of paper-folding.

Harbin wrote many books on the subject, beginning with Paper Magic (illustrated by the young art student, the Australian Rolf Harris who in the middle of the project, caught the origami idea and contributed several intricate models himself) in 1956, and was the first President of the British Origami Society.