[2] Peacock was born in Leura, New South Wales[3] and educated at the University of Sydney, where he studied botany and zoology and gained a PhD in genetics.
He followed this with post-doctoral positions in genetics at the University of Oregon in Eugene and molecular biology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, before returning to Australia to work with the CSIRO.
In 2000, Dr Peacock was joint recipient of the inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Science.
Peacock was appointed Chief Scientist of Australia on a part-time basis in March 2006, and his term concluded on 31 August 2008.
He was awarded the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture in 1989 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1994.