 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.