Obituaries Australia

There died, on Wednesday of last week, in the Nepean Cottage Hospital, at Penrith (whither he was removed from his home at Llandilo to be immediately under the watchful eye of his medical attendant) a gentleman whose name carries us back to the early days of the settlement of Australia. Mr. George Robert Nicols was a son of Charles Hamilton Nichols (who was in partnership with Mr. Pickering in 'Bell's Life in Sydney'), and nephew of the famous 'Bob' Nichols (a leading lawyer, and member of the first Ministry under Responsible Government), and grandson of Isaac Nichols, first postmaster of New South Wales (of all Australia, in fact), who came to Sydney in the ship Admiral Harrington, in 1791, three years after the foundation of the colony or State. He died in November, 1819, aged 49 years, and was accorded a public funeral, the Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, all the leading officials, and principal inhabitants joining in the procession to the then new cemetery, the Sandhills, where now is the palatial Sydney Railway Station. Isaac Nichols and Colonel George Johnston married sisters.

The late Mr. G. R. Nichols was, in early years, connected with the law; for a time he practiced as a solicitor at Moss Vale, and for some years was managing clerk with the elder Fitzhardinge, founder of the firm of that name, which is still in existence. Over 30 years ago the land called him, and he purchased and settled on a farm at Llandilo, a few miles out of St. Mary's, where he proved himself a useful Australian, occupying many public positions and acting as a sort of adviser-general to the community. From Llandilo Mr. Nichols contributed many valuable notes to our 'Old Sydney' columns. He was an enthusiast in all that concerned Australia and its early history, and was amongst the most regular students at the Mitchell Library. Within the past year Mr. Nichols turned his attention to journalism, and at the time of his death was on the contributing staff of the 'T. and C. Journal' and 'Evening News.' The remains were interred in the cemetery at St. Mary's on Thursday afternoon of last week in the presence of many old friends, who journeyed from Sydney, and others who had known him for years, officially and privately, in the district in which he had spent the best half of a useful life.— 'Truth.'

The late Mr. Nichols, who was 64 years of age, at one time conducted a newspaper at St. Marys, and at later periods contributed a number of interesting articles to the columns of the 'Nepean Times'. He leaves a widow and five children— Arthur Hamilton, George Robert, Walter Charles, Mrs. V. D. Osborne, and Mrs. T. Vincent.

Mrs. John Price and Son were the funeral directors.