Canterbury College Years

Ernest Rutherford arrived at Canterbury College Christchurch in early 1890 and “signed in” as the 338th student on the register.

There were some significant names on that same page – Apirana Turupa Ngata,( Ngati Porou)  who was to become the first Maori graduate of the University of New Zealand. Others include John Angus Erskine and James Hight, who both have significant connections to the University of Canterbury.

Rutherford studied both arts and science subjects towards a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He was an excellent mathematician and won prizes in that subject in each year at Canterbury that helped him to stay at University.
In his second year Rutherford took practical physics and got his first taste of experimental science.

As well as his academic pursuits Rutherford was also involved in debating and organised
philosophical discussions with fellow students.

In December 1892 Rutherford completed his Bachelor of Arts and was awarded a Senior Scholarship in Mathematics. He then embarked upon a Master of Arts.

In 1894 Rutherford and JA Erskine wrote to the Registrar of Canterbury College (which had no laboratory for physics experiments) to request the use of the gown room below the mathematics lecture room to carry out experiments undisturbed. The request was granted, this space is part of the Rutherford’s Den exhibition.

In February 1894 Ernest Rutherford graduated with double First Class Honours in Physics and Mathematics.

In July 1895 Rutherford was awarded an 1851 Exhibition Scholarship to study in England. The scheme funded post graduate research for students from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 

There were two candidates for the 1851 Exhibition scholarship, Ernest and James Maclaurin from Auckland. Maclaurin was originally recommended for the scholarship, however the rules of the grant meant that the recipient must undertake research fulltime and could not have simultaneous employment. As Maclaurin had recently married and had a good job as a government analyst that paid more than the scholarship, Maclaurin declined the scholarship…The rest, as they say, is history… In August Ernest Rutherford departed for England by steamer.

He enjoyed the company of Mary (known as May) Newton. They were married on June 28, 1900, after Ernest had completed his studies at Cambridge and had secured a permanent professorship at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

They had determined that they would not get married until he had a permanent position.