Arms of the British Antarctic Territory

Oliphant Islands

(Gourlay Peninsula)

British Antarctic Territory

Location: 60° 44' 10" S 45° 35' 38" W
extending N-S off S side of Gourlay Peninsula, Signy Island, were surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1947-49 and named Oliphant Islets after Marcus Laurence Elwin (later Sir Mark) Oliphant (1901-2000), Poynting Professor of Physics, University of Birmingham, 1937-50, who assisted in obtaining scientific equipment for Signy in 1947; Director, Research School of Physical Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, 1950-63; President, Australian Academy of Sciences, 1954-57; Governor of South Australia, 1971-76.