HARRY EDWARDS
Profile Harry Edwards
Harry Edwards is a life member of Australian Skeptics Inc. (NSW), and serves in the capacities of secretary and investigator. He is also contributing editor to the Skeptic journal.
Born and educated in London, UK. In 1943 he became the youngest ever agent to be employed by M16, the British Counter Espionage Service. From 1945 to 1947 he was attached to the Passport Control Office of the British Embassy in Prague, Czechoslovakia, as a Communications Officer. He emigrated to Australia in 1949.
In his spare time, while employed as a Telecommunications Technician, he taught himself several building trades, eventually setting up in business as a building cotractor. This proved to be his true vocation in life. Long hours, hard work and a modicum of business acumen allowing him to semi-retire on modest means at the age of 40 to pursue more recreational activities.
His interests include travel (85 countries), writing (6 books, 200 articles), letters to various newspaper editors (600), and debating (8 years president MWRL Club Debating Society). He is currently writing a book on alternative healthcare in which he looks at the dubious and often bizarre alternative to science-based medicine.
In a more energetic stage of life, Harry has been a long distance cyclist, blue water yachtsman, back-packer and water skier, but with advancing years has slowed down to bushwalking, camping, snow skiing and golf. He's also a survivor, having been ambushed by terrorists in India, mugged in Panama City, sued by psychics, threatened with death, shipwrecked and blown up. Not to mention three marriages and six kids.
In 1980, in addition to a short career as a part-time model and appearing in two films, Harry started a business selling horoscopes, astrological predictions and lucky numbers. Although the business was a lucrative one, conscience got the better of him and he joined Australian Skeptics in 1983. He became national secretary, investigator and assistant editor of the Skeptic in 1987, positions he has retained since. One of the trustees charged with establishing the Australian Skeptics Science and Education Foundation in 1995, Harry has been chairman and secretary since its inception.
Preferring to be left to his own devices, seeking the help of others only when strictly necessary, he has successfully exposed many charlatans and organizations preying on the gullible. Pre-eminent among them, the Australian Psychics Association, Tele-psychic hotlines, various get-rich-quick schemes, diviners, astrologers, numerologists, channelers, clairvoyants, aura readers and a necromancer.
Not renowned for pulling punches when dealing with charlatans, Harry's approach is to pull the pin from a hand grenade then stand back to see what happens next.
Frequently
interviewed
by the electronic
media as a sceptic, in a special soon to be released by ATN Channel 7,
(Secrets Revealed) viewers may be surprised to see Harry the sceptic
posing
as a psychic consultant. On the other hand, those who know him won't be
surpised at anything he gets up to.
[Update: Mr Edwards left the Australian Skeptics in 1999 claiming he was: "sentenced in absentia by a Kangaroo court." (Investigator No. 70)
The book on "alternative healthcare" was published in 1999 and is titled: Alternative, Complementary, Holistic & Spiritual Healing.]