Harding was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 19 September 1826, one of eight children.

On 3 September 1853 Harding married Annie Baker at the New Christian Church in Argyle Square, London.

The three brothers, and Annie, were followers of Emanuel Swedenborg, and strong supporters of the Total Abstinence Society.

[2] Harding died on 13 May 1899, aged 72, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

[3] Harding's photographs held at the Alexander Turnbull Library and the Whanganui Museum were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Ngā Mahara o te Ao register in 2024.