Vale Professor Malcolm Oades
From a letter issued by Professor Rob Fitzpatrick:
It is with deep sadness that we in Soil Science at Adelaide University learned that Malcolm Oades, aged 89, passed away in Adelaide on 24th May 2026. As well as being an internationally renowned soil scientist, Malcolm served as Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute and head (Dean) of the University of Adelaide’s Division of Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences from 1996 until his retirement in 2001.
For his achievements in soil science, Malcolm was awarded the prestigious JA Prescott Medal of Soil Science by the Australian Society of Soil Science in 2003, which is awarded to a person who has made “an outstanding contribution to soil science”.
Malcolm was appointed lecturer in soil science at the University of Adelaide in 1963. He developed soil science as an independent discipline at the University of Adelaide and was appointed the 1st Head of the Department of Soil Science in 1977; later Professor of Soil Science. Malcolm was instrumental in bidding for the 1st successful Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Soil & Land Management in 1991, which “combined research and teaching expertise in soil science from the University of Adelaide, the CSIRO Division of Soils and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)”. During this time Malcolm oversaw Australia’s largest agricultural research complex. The Division, with 200 academic staff and 1500 students, was the home to four CRCs: Soil & Land Management, Viticulture, Weed management systems and Premium quality wool.
He was also instrumental in establishing the Soil & Water Environs on the Waite Campus at Adelaide University, involving soil scientists in University of Adelaide, CSIRO, PIRSA and SARDI.