In 1922, at the age of fifteen, Harvey embarked on his artistic journey, starting with evening drawing classes under Henry Gibbons at East Sydney Technical College (ESTC) in Sydney. Simultaneously, he began full-time art studies under Julian Ashton at the Sydney Art School. By 1925, at eighteen, he found himself in Paris, immersing himself in the artistic milieu as a full-time student at the Académie Julian, complemented by evening classes at Académie Colarossi de la Grande Chaumière. His quest for artistic growth led him to Florence, the Academia Della Bella Arte in Rome, and the Chelsea Polytechnic in London in 1926.
Returning to Sydney in 1927, Harvey worked as an assistant to George Washington Thomas Lambert, ARA, until 1928. Furthering his education, he attended evening classes at ESTC in 1930 and was elected a member of the Society of Artists in 1932. His involvement in various artistic endeavors included assisting Norman Carter in creating cartoons for stained-glass windows titled "Sheep Country" and two murals for the former Rural Bank building in Martin Place, Sydney, in 1933.
Harvey's artistic talent garnered recognition, with Arthur Streeton hailing him as 'a clever young painter from Sydney' during his debut exhibition in Melbourne in 1934. While his landscape paintings, characterized by traditional style, predominantly depicted rural scenes in New South Wales, he also ventured into still life studies, exemplified by his 1944 oil painting "Flower piece," now part of the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection.
In partnership with Arthur Murch, Harvey established the School of Decorative Arts in 1935, situated in Sydney's Liverpool and Castlereagh Streets. His dedication to art education led him to become a part-time art teacher at ESTC in 1935, transitioning to full-time roles within the NSW Department of Technical Education in 1940. Over the years, he served as an art teacher at North Sydney Technical College and ESTC, which later became the National Art School. Rising through the ranks, he held positions such as Head of the North Sydney Technical College annex of East Sydney Technical College and Senior Head Teacher. Even after his retirement in 1971, concluding a remarkable thirty-seven-year tenure at the National Art School, Harvey continued to paint in private practice until his passing.