Douglas Nicholls
Governor of South Australia (1976–77)
道格拉斯·尼克斯 · ダグラス・ニコルズ
- Born
- 9 December 1906, Cummeragunja Reserve
- Died
- 4 June 1988, Mooroopna
- Citizenship
- Australia
- Sport
- Australian rules football
- Occupation
- boxer, Australian rules football player, pastor, governor
- Team / club
- Fitzroy Football Club, Northcote Football Club
Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls (9 December 1906 – 4 June 1988) was a prominent Aboriginal Australian from the Yorta Yorta people who served as the 28th governor of South Australia from 1976 to 1977. He was a professional athlete, pastor of the Churches of Christ and church planter, ceremonial officer and a pioneer of Australian reconciliation.
Nicholls was the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted when he was appointed Knight Bachelor in 1972 (he was subsequently appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1977). He was also the first—and as of 2026 the only—Indigenous Australian to be appointed to vice-regal office, serving as Governor of South Australia from 1 December 1976 until his resignation on 30 April 1977 due to poor health.
Awards and honours
- Member of the Order of the British Empire 1957
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire 1968
- Knight Bachelor 1972
- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order 1977
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q447675 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.