Ernest Henry Clark Oliphant

Who was Ernest Henry Clark Oliphant?

Ernest Henry Clark Oliphant was an Australian Elizabethan scholar.

Oliphant was born in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Felix Edwin Oliphant and his wife Mary Bullers, née Frost. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and the University of Melbourne, but did not graduate. In 1884 he became an assistant librarian at the Melbourne public library, but in December 1888 resigned and went to Europe. In 1890 Mesmerist, a Novel was published in London, and during the years 1890-92 three papers by Oliphant on "The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher" appeared in Englische Studien, Leipzig. These were afterwards reprinted in pamphlet form. Oliphant returned to Melbourne in 1893 took up journalism.

In 1895 Oliphant published anonymously at Korumburra, Victoria, a volume of verse, Lyrics, Religious and Irreligious. His name appeared as publisher and he afterwards acknowledged to the present writer that he was the author of the volume. Oliphant was in Tasmania from 1899 to 1902 as editor of the Mt Lyell Standard, and was associate-editor of the Mining Standard, Melbourne, from 1903 to 1906.