Sir Charles Nicholson, 1st Baronet was an English-Australian politician, university founder, explorer, pastoralist, antiquarian and philanthropist.
17 Facts About Charles Nicholson
2.
Charles Nicholson was born in England, the illegitimate son of Barbara Ascough of Iburndale near Whitby in Yorkshire and christened Isaac Ascough.
3.
Charles Nicholson was educated at Edinburgh University where he took the degree of MD in 1833 after submitting a thesis, written in Latin, on asphyxiation.
4.
On 9 October 1833, Charles Nicholson sailed for Sydney as ship's surgeon on the James Harris at the behest of his uncle, William Ascough.
5.
Charles Nicholson arrived on 1 May 1834 and set up as a doctor in Sydney on Jamieson Street, Wynyard close to The Rocks.
6.
Charles Nicholson was the main beneficiary of his uncle's will and soon began acquiring extensive property in his own right throughout Australia.
7.
In 1841, Charles Nicholson blazed a cart route and shifted half a ton of tobacco from Broulee to the Monaro, in fourteen days.
8.
Charles Nicholson was planning to return, carrying six bales of wool.
9.
Charles Nicholson took much interest in the founding of the University of Sydney and on 24 December 1850 was appointed a member of the senate.
10.
Charles Nicholson was elected a member of the library committee which laid the foundations of the present excellent library.
11.
Charles Nicholson became chancellor in 1854 and held the position until 1862.
12.
Queensland became a separate colony in 1859 and Charles Nicholson was nominated a member of the legislative council.
13.
At the special request of the governor, Sir George Bowen, Charles Nicholson undertook the office of president of the council for the first session of parliament.
14.
In 1862, Charles Nicholson returned to England and in 1865 married Sarah Elizabeth Keightley.
15.
Charles Nicholson never returned to Australia but kept his interest in it, and occasionally contributed papers relating to it to the journals of learned societies.
16.
Charles Nicholson died in England on 8 November 1903 shortly before his ninety-fifth birthday.
17.
Charles Nicholson was knighted in 1852, and created a baronet in 1859.