BIOGRAPHIES Yorta Yorta. Florence’s mother was Pastor Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls Louisa Frost of the Baraparapa/Wamba. (1906-1988) was born on Louisa was the daughter of Thomas Cummeragunga Aboriginal Station in Frost a stockman on Mathoura station New South Wales on 9 December 1906 and Topsey of the Baraparapa. Doug in Yorta Yorta Country, the land of his was the youngest of six siblings. His Mother and the totemic long neck turtle brothers and sisters included Ernest and emu. His heritage is well recorded (1897-1897), Minnie Nora (1898-1988), and his Ancestors made their own Hilda Melita (1901-1926), Walter Ernest marks in history. Doug Nicholls is a (b.1902-1963) and Howard Herbert multi-clanned descendant of the Yorta (1905-1942). Doug was captain of the Yorta, Baraparapa, Dja Dja Wurrung, Cummeragunga school football team a Jupagalk, and Wergaia Nations through sport he loved and which would carry his mother and father. him through his life. He left school at 14 years of age. In the 1920’s he worked On the patrilineal side of the family, as a tar-boy, channel scooper and Doug Nicholls was the son of Herbert general hand on sheep stations. As well Nicholls (born St. Arnaud 1875-1947) as being quite capable of making a who was the son of Augusta Robinson living, Doug was a gifted athlete. Doug (born Richardson River, near Donald was recruited by the Carlton Football 1859-1886) of the Jupagalk/Wergaia Club but the racism he experienced at and Walpanumin John Logan (born the Club sent him to join the Northcote Charlton 1840-1911) of the Dja Dja Football Club in the VFA. He joined the Wurrung/Baraparapa. Walpanumin was Brickfielders at the Northcote Football the son of Lerimburneen or King Billy Club in 1927 and played in three grand (c.1830-1865) who died on the Loddon finals including a premiership team in River near Serpentine) of the Dja Dja 1929 and runners up in 1930 and 1931. Wurrung/Baraparapa. Lerimburneen His brother Howard also played with was the son of King Girribong (c.1790- Northcote for one season. Doug not only 1860) of the Dja Dja played football, but won the Wurrung/Baraparapa and Matty of the Warracknabeal Gift in Wergaia/Jupagalk Wergaia (c.1800-1886). The Nicholls Country in 1928 and the Nyah Gift in Family regards the Boort, Charlton and Wadi Wadi Country as a sprinter. He Donald districts as the heartland of their came second in the Wangaratta and Dja Dja Wurrung connection to Country. Shepparton Gifts and fourth in the The Barks at Boort and the Jaara Baby Melbourne Thousand. In 1932 he joined at Charlton are events in our history that the Fitzroy Football Club and in 1935 he mark our connection to Country and our represented the VFL as a state player – collective authority to Speak for Country. an extraordinary achievement. He went The Nicholls families are native title on to play 53 games with Fitzroy from holders in Wergaia country and are 1932 to 1937. In the 1930s during the awaiting similar outcomes in other Great Depression, Doug became a Country subject to native title claim Christian. He conducted church and outcomes. hymn services at the Gore Street Mission Centre in Fitzroy and in 1938, Doug’s mother was Florence Nicholls he gave the National Day of Mourning (1876-1932) the daughter of Aaron Speech. It was in 1939 he became the Atkinson (1854-1913) who was the son first Pastor of the Aboriginal Church of of Kitty Atkinson (1834-1885) of the Christ in Australia in Gore Street Fitzroy. 1 As an indication of the significance of became an active Freemason. He this influence, his religious priorities and lectured about Indigenous rights at knee injuries, he retired from football schools, universities Lions and Rotary and became the non-playing coach of Clubs , and other community groups on Northcote in 1940. In another many occasions . In 1962 he was extraordinary chapter of his life, in 1941 awarded a Member of the British Empire he received a call-up notice and joined [M.B.E.] award. In the same year Pastor the AIF 29th Battalion. But the next year, Doug was awarded the Victorian Father police in Fitzroy requested the dis charge of the Year – the first Indigenous man to of Pastor Doug to help with problems in be given the honor in mainstream the lives of Aborigines in Fitzroy. Australian society. During 1963 Pastor Support for this remarkable man Doug Nicholls was appointed as a crossed cultural boundaries. Pastor Justice of the Peace by the State of Doug and his supporters would go to the Victoria. The accolades continued and Yarra Riverbank and speak publicly in 1968 he was awarded an Order of the about Aboriginal citizenship rights and British Empire [O.B.E.]. During NADOC support for Aboriginal communities. It 1969 Pastor Doug Nicholls presented a was at this time that his brother, petition calling for a better deal for Howard, the husband of Gladys Naby Aboriginal People to the Victorian Muriel Nicholls, passed away at Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in an Mooroopna in April 1942. Eight months emotional ceremony at the City Square. later, Pastor Doug married Gladys on 26 He was appointed as a member of the December 1942. Pastor Doug set up the Victorian Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs Gore Street Fitzroy Church of Christ Aboriginal Advisory Committee and he Aboriginal Mission in 1943. They lived at met the Pope at the Melbourne 29 Fergie Street Fitzroy and at 98 Ecumenical Conference. He was Westgarth Street in Northcote besides appointed as the inaugural Chairman of the Northcote football ground. Both the National Aboriginal Sports residences were a hive of community Foundation in 1969 and was invited to and religious activities with a diverse meet Queen Elizabeth II on her range of visitors, guests and People. A Australian Tour. In 1972, the Queen decade after his marriage, Pastor Doug gave him a knighthood. He traveled to and supporters organised a concert London with Lady Gladys to receive the called ‘Out of the Darkness, an Knight Commander of the Royal Victoria Aboriginal Moomba’ which was staged Order [K.C.V.O.]. At this time, he was at the Princess Theatre. By this time, his also awarded the title Bapa Mamus or good work was very well-known. He was Headman of the Indigenous Nations by appointed to a Western Australian the Torres Strait Islander communities Parliamentary Committee to investigate at a major Ceremony at the old the atrocious conditions Aboriginal Aborigines Advancement League in People were subjected to at Warburton Northcote. On 1 December 1976 Pastor ranges. In 1956 Pastor Doug became Sir Douglas Nicholls MBE; O.B.E.; the first field officer for the Aboriginal K.C.V.O. was appointed the twenty Advancement League. He also edited eighth Governor of South Australia. the Aboriginal Advancement League Sadly, his governorship ended due to ill- journal, Smoke Signal. His political health on 30 April 1977. He lost his influence continued to grow when he beloved Lady Gladys in 1981 after 39 was elected as secretary of the Federal years of marriage. In 1988 Pastor Sir Council for the Advancement of Douglas passed away at Mooroopna in Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Victoria. He was given a state funeral at He also joined the Masonic Lodge and the Aboriginal Advancement League in 2 Thornbury and buried at in 1932. Mehra and Alice had six Cummeragunga Mission cemetery on children including Myrtle Annette Naby the Murray River in Yorta Yorta country (1903-1903), Abraham Theodore Naby where his wife, siblings and extended (b.1904), Gladys Muriel Naby (1906- family were interred. Pastor Sir Douglas 1981), Budder Deen Naby (1909-1909), was very vocal about Indigenous rights Jeevie Naby (1910-1910) and and the advancement of the Nazamdeen Naby (1914-1967). Gladys underprivileged. He was a strong, highly and her siblings attended primary school principled Indigenous man, husband, at Cummeragunga Aboriginal Station to father of two sons (Bevan and Ralph) grade three level and worked in their and three daughters (Nora, Lilian and father’s store. In the 1920’s she Pamela), unc le, grandfather and great convinced her father to let her go to grandfather to many. He was a man with Melbourne to learn to become a power and principles well before his seamstress and make suits for the time and a world leader in Indigenous family store. Gladys married Howard Peoples’ rights. History will continue to Herbert Nicholls (1905-1942) a deeply record that Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls is a religious man and footballer on 7 great example of a strong Yorta Yorta, October 1927 at St Martins Church, Baraparapa, Dja Dja Wurrung, Jupagalk Carlton. She spent much time with her and Wergaia man of principle and beloved mother-in-law Florence integrity. Atkinson at Cummeragunga before she passed away in 1932. Sadly, Gladys Gladys Naby Muriel Bux (1906-1981) also lost her husband who died at was born on 21 October 1906 at Mooroopna in April 1942 from injuries Cummeragunga Aboriginal Station New sustained in a car accident at South Wales near Moama in Yorta Yorta Murchison. The then widowed Gladys, Country. Gladys was the daughter of with three children under the age of Meera Naby Baksch or Meera Bux, a twelve, married Howard’s brother, Doug Punjab Sikh Indian merchant hawker Nicholls, in December of 1942 in and Alice Campbell (1875-1953), a Dja Moama – a partnership that was to last Dja Wurrung and Baraparapa woman, for 39 years. Gladys inherited her the daughter of Koombra Alexander father’s business acumen.