Scientist, Governor of South Australia

By his own admission Oliphant was not a natural scholar as he found he struggled at school as a result of near-sightedness and deafness in one ear. However, he was always interested in science and experimentation and when he left Adelaide High School in 1918 Oliphant hoped to study medicine. However, he could not afford to go to university and began work instead. When he got a job at the South Australian Public Library in 1919, Oliphant began studying at the University of Adelaide at night. He became a cadet in the physics department and physics lecturer Roy Burdon encouraged him to change disciplines. Oliphant graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1921 and Honours in 1922.

Oliphant was employed in the physics department at Adelaide University for several years, during which time he was inspired to continue his studies by a lecture by New Zealand physicist Ernest Rutherford, then Director of the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. Oliphant was awarded an '1851 Exhibition' scholarship for post-graduate study and chose to apply for a place at Cavendish Laboratory to work with Rutherford. Once at Cambridge he commenced research in the area of nuclear physics, studying the artificial disintegration of the atomic nucleus and positive ions. Oliphant continued to work at the Cavendish Laboratory after completing his PhD in 1929. In June 1932, Oliphant's colleagues at the Cavendish Laboratory John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton succeeded in splitting the atom - by bombarding lithium atoms with protons.

Rutherford suggested that he and Oliphant continue on from Cockcroft and Walton's work and Oliphant designed apparatuses, including a positive ion accelerator, for use in their experiments. In the course of this work Oliphant discovered new forms of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) and helium (helium 3) and found that the nuclei of hydrogen could be made to react with each other (later to be used in the development of the hydrogen bomb). In 1937 Oliphant was appointed to the post of Poynting Professor of Physics at Birmingham University. During the first years of the World War II he contributed to the war effort by experimenting with the development of improved radar systems.

In 1943 Oliphant and a group of British scientists went to the United States to assist on the project to develop the atom bomb - known as the Manhattan Project. Oliphant was devastated by the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and later campaigned against the use of nuclear power for military purposes. In 1950 Oliphant returned to Australia to take up the position of Director of the Australian National University Research School of Physical Sciences and held the post until 1963. Oliphant was knighted in 1959 (KBE). He retired from the Australian National University in 1967. In 1971 Oliphant was appointed Governor of South Australia - the first South Australian born governor of South Australia. He was an unconventional choice for governor, as although he was politically conservative, he gave the impression of being left-leaning because of his anti-war stance. A bust of Oliphant by sculptor John Dowie stands on North Terrace, Adelaide, near the entrance to Government House.

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1927: Awarded '1851 Exhibition' scholarship for post-graduate study and took up a place to at the Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge University

1929: Gained PhD in physics from Cambridge University

1932: Began experimenting with splitting atoms

1935: Made Assistant Director of Research at the Cavendish Laboratories

1937: Appointed Poynting Professor of Physics at Birmingham University

1937: Made a fellow of the Royal Society

1943: Awarded the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society

1943: Went to the US to work on the development of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project)

1950: Returned to Australia to become the inaugural Director of the Australian National University Research School of Physical Sciences; held post until 1963

1954-1956: Inaugural Director of the Australian Academy of Science of which he was a founding member

1959: Made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)

1 December 1971- 30 November 1976: Governor of South Australia; State's first South Australian-born Governor

Oliphant : the man and his work : a display of the private papers of Sir Mark Oliphant, [Adelaide : Barr Smith Library], 1984

Sir Marcus Oliphant : born 1901 : nuclear physicist [videorecording] / interviewer Robin Hughes ; producer, director, writer, editor, Frank Heimans, [Lindfield, N.S.W.] : Film Australia, c1992

Bright Sparcs [Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre]: Search for Mark Oliphant

Bright Sparcs [Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre]: See Exhibitions:  Sir Mark Oliphant