Nephew reflects on the life of Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls, the first Aboriginal Australian knighted in 1972

The nephew of the late Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls (1906-1988), the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted by the Queen, said the event had been a source of pride for the family both at the time and during the 50 years hence.

Sir Douglas Nicholls with his wife Gladys after being appointed Knight Bachelor at Buckingham Palace in London on 17 November 1972. Credit: Evening Standard/Getty Images

Key Points

• Yorta Yorta man Sir Douglas Nicholls was the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted
• His nephew recalls his uncle's fond memories of the 'entertaining' Queen Elizabeth
• Sir Douglas went on to become the first Aboriginal Australian to hold a vice-regal position as Governor of South Australia

However, Sir Doug’s nephew, Bobby Nicholls, said the event had also been tainted by sadness at the ongoing injustices perpetrated against First Nations’ people.

“As an individual, I extend my condolences to the royal family at the passing of the Queen but I also keep in mind the many injustices,” Bobby said.

Reflecting on the knighthood bestowed on his uncle in 1972 in London, Bobby said Sir Doug had said he and his wife Gladys had been nervous beforehand due to all of the strict protocols involved in the ceremony.

But he did say he found the Queen very entertaining and easy to talk to.

"He said the Queen made him feel welcome even though he was a huge advocate of human rights and social justice,” Bobby said.

Bobby said when the family had first received the letter informing them that Sir Doug was going to be knighted, “…it was very exciting for not only him but for his family which these days includes his surviving daughters, Lilian Tamiru nee Nicholls, as well as Pamela Pederson nee Nicholls.”

Yorta Yorta Elder Aunty Pam Pedersen Nicholls, daughter of Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls, stands with the match ball, in front of a statue of her father and mother, at the launch of the AFL Indigenous Round in Melbourne, Monday, May 22, 2017. Source: AAP / JOE CASTRO/AAPIMAGE

“It made me and the rest of the family very proud. We are also proud of the time he met the Queen again at a Fitzroy-Richmond game in Melbourne.”

During that 1977 Silver Jubilee royal tour, the Queen bestowed a second knighthood on Sir Doug, the prestigious Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

Yorta Yorta man, Pastor Sir Douglas was also the first Aboriginal Australian to be made Governor when he was appointed to the position for South Australia by the then Premier Don Dunstan in 1976.

“I say this with pride, I know the African-Americans have Barack Obama but we had Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls,” Bobby said.

Saints players during part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and contribution to the game during the AFL Round 10 match between the Adelaide Crows and the St Kilda Saints at Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Source: AAP / MATT TURNER/AAPIMAGE

In July 2022, Australia Post released a commemorative stamp celebrating the life of Pastor Sir Doug.

Bobby said his uncle had been born on the Cummeragunja mission near Shepparton, later becoming a Pastor in the Churches of Christ.

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A former player himself, Sir Doug was passionate about football and had used the sport to break down barriers, Bobby said.

“Well before reconciliation was formally in place, he used football to bring people together,” he said.

At the age of 21, Sir Doug became the only Indigenous player in the Victorian Football Association, developing a reputation for speed, and named ‘Best and Fairest’ twice. He played in three grand finals before knee trouble forced him to retire from football aged 31.

Sir Douglas and Lady Nicholls at Heathrow Airport before travelling to Buckingham Palace to receive his Knighthood. Credit: Keystone/Getty Images

Right from the beginning, Sir Doug and Lady Nicholls had worked tirelessly with young Aboriginal people arriving in Melbourne especially in the Fitzroy area, culminating in the 1936 formation of the Australian Aborigines’ League with fellow Yorta Yorta man (and great-uncle) William Cooper.

The League sought to bring Aboriginal people under federal rather than state laws.

Sir Doug was the Victorian secretary of the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, established in 1958 which strived for meaningful reconciliation between black and white Australia.

The year before, in 1957, he had helped found Victoria’s Aboriginal Advancement League, which lobbied federal government on issues relating to Aboriginal wellbeing and equality, including in the lead-up to the 1967 Referendum.

On 27 May 1967, Australians voted to change the Constitution so that like all other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would be counted as part of the population and the Commonwealth would be able to make laws for them.

A resounding 90.77 per cent of people said ‘Yes’ and the 'Yes" vote received a majority in each state and territory.

Sir Doug is memorialised in public culture through the naming of the Sir Doug Nicholls Oval in Northcote, Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round (AFL), and the Canberra suburb of Nicholls.

A bronze statue by Louis Laumen of Sir Doug and Lady Nicholls stands in Melbourne’s Parliament Gardens.