Biographical entry Oliphant, Marcus Laurence Elwin (1901 - 2000)
FAA, FRS, FTSE
- Born
- 8 October 1901
Kent Town, South Australia, Australia - Died
- 14 July 2000
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia - Occupation
- Physicist
Summary
Sir Marcus Oliphant was Director of the Research School of Physical Sciences, Australian National University 1950-1963, and first President of the Australian Academy of Science 1954-1956. He continued as professor at ANU 1964-1967 and was Governor of South Australia 1971-1976.
Details
Born 8 October 1901. Died Canberra, 14 July 2000. KBE cr 1959, AC 1977. Educated University of Adelaide and Cambridge. Messel Research Fellow, Royal Society 1931, lecturer and Fellow, St John's College 1934, Assistant Director of Research, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge 1935, Australian Representative of Atomic Energy Commission 1946, Poynting Professor of Physics, University of Birmingham 1937-50, Vice-Principal 1948-49, Director, Research School of Physical Sciences, Australian National University 1950-63, Professor of Physics of Ionised Gases, Honorary Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University 1964-67, Governor of South Australia 1971-76. Fellow, Royal Society 1937, Hughes Medal, Royal Society 1943, Silvanius Thomson Medal, Institute of Radiology 1946, Trasenoter, l'Association des Ingenieurs, Liege 1947, Faraday Medal, Institution of Electrical Engineers 1948, Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1954, President of the Australian Academy of Science 1954-57, Bakerian Lecture, Royal Society 1955, Rutherford Memorial Lecture, Royal Society 1955, Galathea Medal, H.M. The King of Denmark 1956, Australian Institution of Production Engineers Medal 1958, Matthew Flinders Medal, Australian Academy of Science 1961, James Cook Medal, The Royal Society of New South Wales 1974, Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 1975, ANZAAS Medal 1979.
Related entries
Archival resources
Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science
- Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant - Records, 1953 - 1982, MS 031; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
- Oral Collection, 1931 - 2003, MS 057; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details
Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide
- Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant - Records, 1896 - 1983, 92 04775p SR; Barr Smith Library, Special Collections, The University of Adelaide. Details
National Library of Australia Oral History Collection
- Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant - Records, 1923 - 1967, DeB 276; National Library of Australia Oral History Collection. Details
Published resources
Encyclopedia of Australian Science Exhibitions
- Australasian Science, A Bright Sparcs Exhibition, Australian Science Archives Project, 1997, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/journal/journal.htm. Details
- Sir Mark Oliphant, a Bright Sparcs Exhibition, Australian Science Archives Project, 1997, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/oliphant/oliphant.htm. Details
- Smith, Ailie, Adolph Basser Library Manuscript Collection, eScholarship Research Centre, 2012, http://www.eoas.info/basser_browse.html. Details
Books
- Cockburn, Stewart, Oliphant, the life of Sir Mark Oliphant, Axiom Books, Adelaide, 1981. Details
- Ophel, Trevor and Jenkin, John, Fire in the Belly: the First Fifty Years of the Pioneer School at the ANU, Research School of Physical Science and Engineering, Institute of Advanced Studies, ANU, Canberra, 1996, 157 pp. Details
Book Sections
- Bleaney, Brebis, 'Sir Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant, 1901-2000', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2004. Details
Edited Books
- Moyal, Ann (ed.), Portraits in Science, National Library of Australia, Canberra, 1994, 209 pp. Details
Journal Articles
- Barton, Ruth, 'Oliphant: the life and times of Sir Mark Oliphant', Australian Physicist, vol. 18, no. 11, 1981, pp. 228-230. Details
- Binnie, Anna, 'Oliphant, the Father of Atomic Energy', Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. 139, 2006, pp. 11-22. Details
- Bleaney, Brebis, 'Sir Mark (Marcus Laurence Elwin) Oliphant, AC , KBE', Royal Society of London, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows, vol. 47, 2001, pp. 383-393. Details
- Carver, J.H.; Crompton, R.W.; Ellyard, D.G.; Hibbard, L.U.; Inall, E.K., 'Marcus Laurence Elwin Oliphant 1901-2000', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 14, no. 3, 2003, pp. 337-364. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR02012.htm. Details
- Grant, Colin Kerr, 'Three Pioneers', Radar Returns, vol. 12, no. 2, 2007, pp. 7-8. Also available at http://radarreturns.net.au/assets/issues/rrvol12no2S.pdf. Details
- Oliphant, Mark, 'Physical Science in Australian Universities', Vestes, vol. 3, no. 2, 1960, pp. 11-15. Details
- Oliphant, Mark, 'Seventh Cecil Eddy Memorial Oration, 1964. 'The Cambridge Year'', Radiographer, vol. 11, no. 2, 1964, pp. 6-9. Details
- Piddington, J. H. and Oliphant, M. L., 'David Forbes Martyn', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, vol. 2, no. 2, 1972, pp. 47-60. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9720220047.htm. Details
- Pockley, Peter, 'The Great White Oliphant', Australasian Science, vol. 21, no. 9, 2000, pp. 37-38. Details
- Sutherland, Denise, 'Sir Mark Oliphant (1901-2000)', Australian Science, vol. 22, no. 2, 2001, p. 46. Details
Online Resources
- 'Oliphant, Marcus Laurence Elwin - Ms 31', in Listing of Adolph Basser Library holdings, Australian Academy of Science, 1994, http://www.science.org.au/basser/manuscript-collection/ms031.html. Details
- 'Oliphant, Marcus Laurence Elwin', in Physics in Australia to 1945, R.W. Home, with the assistance of Paula J. Needham, Australian Science Archives Project, June 1995, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/physics/P000683p.htm. Details
- Papers of Sir Mark Oliphant, 2000, http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/special/mss/oliphant/. Details
- 'Oliphant, Mark', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-938517. Details
- Sherratt, Tim, 'Political Fallout: Australian Scientists and the Atomic Bomb', Australasian Science, vol. Spring, 1996, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/journal/as_fallout.htm. Details
- Sutherland, Denise, '"Just Curiosity...": Sir Mark Oliphant', Australasian Science, 1997, http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/exhib/journal/as_oliphant.htm. Details
See also
- Aroney, M. J.; Bukingham, A. D., 'Raymond James Wood Le Fevre 1905-1986', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 7, no. 3, 1988, pp. 273-297. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9880730273.htm. Details
- Science and the making of Victoria, with Royal Society of Victoria, 2001, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/smv/scripts/smv-dynindex.php3?EID=P000683. Details
- Crompton, R. W., 'Leonard George Holden Huxley 1902-198', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 8, no. 4, 1991, pp. 249-264. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9910840249.htm. Details
- Davies, Susan, 'R. v.d. R. Wooley in Australia', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 6, no. 1, 1984, pp. 59-69. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9840610059.htm. Details
- Fenner, F., 'Frank Macfarlane Burnet, 1899-1985', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 7, no. 1, 1987, pp. 39-77. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9870710039.htm. Details
- Hyde, B. G. and Day, P, 'John Stuart Anderson', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 1992. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9920920127.htm. Details
- Newton, J. O., 'Ernest William Titterton 1916-1990', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 9, no. 2, 1992, pp. 167-187. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9920920167.htm. Details
- Paterson, M. S., 'John Conrad Jaeger 1907-1979', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 3, 1982, pp. 64-88. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9820530064.htm. Details
- Sherratt, Tim, '"On the beach": Australia's nuclear history', Paper presented at French Worlds, Pacific Worlds Conference, 16 July 1996. Also available at http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/pubs/articles/tps/tps_on_the_beach.htm. Details
- White, F. W.G., 'Robert Gordon Menzies (1894-1978)', Historical Records of Australian Science, vol. 5, no. 1, 1980, pp. 68-102. Also available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9800510068.htm. Details
Digital resources
McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 8 June 2010
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