Nicholls, Sir Douglas (1906-1988), was the first Indigenous Australian to be knighted. He received the knighthood in 1972 in recognition of his work for the country’s Aboriginal people. The Indigenous peoples of Australia include the Aboriginal peoples of Australia and the Torres Strait Islander peoples. Also called First Nations peoples, they are descendants of the first groups to live in Australia. Nicholls also served as governor of South Australia in 1976 and 1977. He was the first Aboriginal person to serve as a state governor in Australia.
Douglas Ralph Nicholls was born in Cummeragunja, New South Wales, on Dec. 9, 1906. In his early life, he was a well-known boxer, runner, and Australian Rules football player. Later, he became pastor of the Churches of Christ Aborigines’ Mission in Fitzroy, Victoria. He was a founding member of the Aborigines’ Advancement League (now the Aboriginal Advancement League) and became a director in 1969. He died on June 4, 1988, near Shepparton, Victoria.
