Scholarship to continue Royal research passions

Mark Govier PhD Scholarship

A generous donation will ensure the history of the Royal Society – the oldest scientific academy in the world - continues to be explored through the Mark Govier PhD Scholarship at Flinders University.

Mark Govier has always been driven by a passion for knowledge and exploration.

“At university I studied Mathematics, History, and Politics, but rather than pursuing an academic career, I spent many years in a range of government roles,” says Mark whose impressive career includes positions at Sydney’s Long Bay Prison, the Crown Prosecution Service, Treasury, and the Home Office in London.

Mark’s love of exploration has led him to travel to over 100 hundred countries, including unique destinations such as Transnistria, Tajikistan, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

While working in London, he became fascinated by the Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest institution of science - established in 1662 to promote science and its benefits.

He says, “I was inspired by a biography of Isaac Newton, who served as the Royal Society’s President from 1703 to 1727.”

Thanks to the open access of the Society’s archives, and with the assistance of its library staff, Mark began researching the historic science institution – discovering the organisation's darker side including its heavy involvement in the 17th century slave trade.

Carole Mackintosh donates to the Matthew Flinders Scholarship

Sir Isaac Newton

His articles on the early Royal Society have been published by Annals of Science, Journal of Management History, and Notes and Records of the Royal Society.

In March this year, while completing his MA in History at Flinders, Mark was diagnosed with terminal cancer putting an end to his plan to apply for a PhD to investigate the political alignments of Royal Society Fellows*.

Wanting to see the Royal Society research he had instigated through his MA continue, Mark donated $140,000 to establish the Mark Govier PhD Scholarship at Flinders University.

This significant contribution will ensure that Mark’s research passion of investigating the Royal Society and its political alignments continues through PhD students at Flinders.

Flinders University is grateful for Mark’s commitment to fostering academic research, which will leave an indelible mark on our knowledge of history and governance.

His Masters thesis received two Category A examiner results and Flinders Dean of the Office of Graduate Research, Tim Cavagnaro said they were the best examiner results he has ever read.

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*Sadly, Mark Govier passed away on 31 October 2024. We are grateful for his foresight to support the next generation of researchers at Flinders.

^{Published September 2024, updated January 2025. Author: Lynda Allen}

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