Media Release

Donald Bramwell inspects a wind-powered numbat. Full Image (637.72K) A model of Environmental Farm Improvement, from Jemima Raymond of Scotch College. Full Image (675.37K)

Tuesday, 5 September 2000

A memorial service in for Sir Mark Oliphant took place in Adelaide University's Bonython Hall on 18 August. Almost immediately afterwards, the hall began to fill with hundreds of entries in the competition that bears his name and for which Sir Mark himself fashioned the trophy.

The Oliphant Science Awards are an annual event, which encourages students to explore, question and probe the world around us and to appreciate the links between school science and the greater scientific enterprise.

As a major sponsor of the Oliphant Science Awards, Adelaide University displayed 700 entries; the combined work of 3000 students. The entries were then moved to the Investigator Science Centre until the announcement and presentation of prizes at the Australian Mineral Foundation on September 8. The entries are a diverse collection of resources, with categories for models, inventions, computers, games, essays, experiments, photographs, posters, videos and webpages.

Sir Mark was the patron of the South Australian Science Teachers' Association (SASTA), which organises the awards each year.

"The Oliphant Awards are the premier science competition in the state, involving students across all age groups, " said Mr Donald Bramwell, the Executive Officer of SASTA. "By promoting science at all levels of school we are ensuring that all students in South Australia have the opportunity to explore, question and probe the world around us," he said. "In addition, the awards enable teachers and parents to develop their own skills and expand their own experiences in collaboration with
their students."