Oliphant, Laurence, 1829-88, British author, b. Capetown, South Africa. Although he wrote some valuable travel books, he is probably best remembered for his fascinating life. The son of a judge, he became a lawyer and later secretary to Lord Elgin. He was a correspondent for the London Times during the Crimean War, went with Elgin to China, was an associate of Garibaldi, and traveled all over the world. In 1867 he became a disciple of Thomas Lake Harris in a religious community at Brocton, N.Y. His writings include several travel books, notably A Journey to Katmandu (1852); two novels, Piccadilly (1866) and Altiora Peto (1883); an autobiography, Episodes in a Life of Adventure (1887); and Scientific Religion (1888). He and his first wife, Alice Le Strange, wrote a curious book, Sympneumata: Evolutionary Forces Now Active in Man (1885), inspired by Harris and supposedly dictated by a spirit. After Alice's death Oliphant married (1888) Rosamond Dale Owen, granddaughter of Robert Owen. They established a colony of Jews in Palestine.

Oliphant, Margaret Oliphant (Wilson), 1828-97, Scottish author. She was widowed at the age of 31 and subsequently supported her own three children and her brother and his family. Astonishingly prolific, she wrote many novels, including a series about life in a Scottish village called Chronicles of Carlingford (1863-76); the best novels in the series were Salem Chapel and Miss Marjoribanks. She wrote guidebooks; semihistorical works, such as The Makers of Modern Rome (1895); and biographies of Sheridan (1883) and her cousin Laurence Oliphant (1891), among others.

The Oliphant-Walker House is a historic home in the Hyde Park Historic District in Austin, Texas. It is also a part of the Shadow Lawn Historic District, a subdivision within the Hyde Park neighborhood established by Hyde Park founder Monroe Shipe.

The house was built in 1894 by area resident William Jones Oliphant, an accomplished photographer. It is a prime example of Queen Anne style architecture, with an elaborate balustrade, front gable, and friezes. The house was sold to Anna Walker, president of the Texas Woman Suffrage Association, in 1916.

The house is located at 3900 Avenue C. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.