Douglas Nicholls

Sir Douglas "Doug" Ralph Nicholls, KCVO, OBE (1906–1988) was an Australian Aborigine from the Yorta Yorta people of the Murray river region of New South Wales and Victoria. He was a Pastor with the Churches of Christ in Australia Christian denomination. He was awarded Honours, including Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) and Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Aboriginal people.

Recognition

• 1957 awarded a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.).
• 1962 he was chosen by the Father's Day Council of Australia as Victoria's Father of the Year for "outstanding leadership in youth and welfare work and for the inspired example he set the community in his unfailing efforts to further the cause of the Australian Aborigine".
• 1968 he received an Order of the British Empire award (O.B.E.)
• 1968 he met the Pope at the Ecumenical Conference held in Melbourne
• 1970 was among Victoria's invited guests to greet the Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Australia.
• 1972 he became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted and he and his wife Gladys travelled to London to receive that honour.
• 1 December 1976, Sir Doug Nicholls was appointed as the 28th Governor of South Australia.