John Henry Nicholson

John Henry Nicholson, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Neg 195834

John Henry Nicholson (1838–1923) was a British-born, Queensland man of letters, teacher, writer and poet.

Life John Henry Nicholson was born into a distinguished family of literary and scientific note, at Lyme Regis, Dorset, England on 12 June 1838. He was the eldest son of Anne Elizabeth Waring and John Nicholson (1809–1886). His mother Anne was the daughter of Captain Henry Waring, R.N. of Lyme Regis, Dorset. Her brother, Nicholson's uncle, John Burley Waring, was an architect, painter and intellectual. Nicholson's father was a distinguished biblical scholar and orientalist, who had studied at Oxford and in Germany, and in 1836 had published a grammar of the Hebrew language of the Old Testament. Nicholson's grandfather was the Rev Mark Nicholson (1770–1838), Fellow of Queen's College Oxford and long term President of Codrington College, Barbados. John Nicholson and his brother, Dr William Alleyne Nicholson, had befriended Ludwig Leichhardt, who they had met at the University of Göttingen. making his journeys of exploration possible. Among the occupations he tried were whaling and gold prospecting. His teaching experience included the German Mission National Day School, Nundah, which changed its name to Nundah State School in 1895 (1865–1868), Springsure (1870–1876), Enoggera National School (1877–1885)

Inspired in part by John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, ('Halek' being the Herbrew word for 'pilgrim'), The Adventures of Halek was published in London in 1882, and was considered by some to be a masterpiece, "worthy to rank with the works of Dean, Swift and John Bunyan as classics". a sentiment shared by A.G. Stephens who pronounced the book "carefully written, but dull". Largely autobiographical, the work is essentially an allegory which communicates the idea of man's development from sinful worldliness to ideal goodness.

Nicholson was one of the founding members of the Johnsonian Club (1878–1991), an exclusive Brisbane club, modelled on the London Literary Club of Sir Joshua Reynolds and Samuel Johnson. Established on the notion of 'friendly association and the study of current literature', other founding members included published authors, journalists, educators and pressmen, including James Brunton Stephens, Horace Earle, William Senior, John Warde, and Gresley Lukin. Like the original Literary club, the Brisbane club defined itself by gender, profession, class and a belief in the elevating effects of cultural, and in particular literary, exchange. Although there was a spate of replicas of the original literary club formed all around the world in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Sweden and Japan, the Brisbane club was the first.

In 1905, four years after the death of his first wife, Anna Cordes married him.

Anna Cordes survived Nicholson, later marrying the amateur astronomer, Dudley Eglinton F.R.A.S. There were no children from either marriage, but Nicholson and his first wife had adopted a daughter, Janey (Jane Wagner Nicholson), who became a teacher of German in Queensland schools, and who died 24 November 1934.

In 1986, students of the Nundah State School raised money for a plaque to be placed on Nicholson's grave, honouring his status as the first head teacher at the school. At its unveiling, his patriotic song 'Rouse Australians' written in 1889 was performed.

The State Library of Queensland holds Nicholson's papers, as well as his books, unpublished manuscripts and collections of poetry.

List of works

The mysterious cooks: a tale of Australia; to which is added Christmas in Queensland by Tadberry Gilcobs. Manchester: A. Ireland, 1867 My little book / by Salathiel Doles [pseud.]; to which is added Pewbungle's log. Toronto: Adam, Stevenson & Co., 1873. The opal fever, or, Wild life in Queensland [by] Salathiel Doles [pseud.] Brisbane: F.T.F. Keogh, 1878 (also titled Bunkum in Parvo) Hubert and other poems: together with a metrical translation of Schiller's 'Lied von der Glocke'. Brisbane: F.T.F. Keogh, 1879 The adventures of Halek: an autobiographical fragment. London: Griffith and Farron, 1882 Moike, or, Melbourne in muddle: a farcical comedy in two acts. Brisbane: A. Cleghorn, 1886 The Spanish coachman: a play / by John H. Nicholson Brisbane: A. Cleghorn, 1887 Recreation of Toil, 1889 Halek: a romance (2nd edition). Brisbane: printed for the author by A.J. Ross, 1896. Almoni. Brisbane: Edwards, Dunlop, 1904 Halek: a romance (3rd ed), Brisbane: Edwards, Dunlop, 1904 Recreations of a registrar: the grand palindrome. Brisbane: Nichols, Larwill & Butler, 1904 Ring of Eldad (short story). The Queenslander, 29 October 1904 p44 Prince Medyan or The Wonderful Coffer (short story) The Queenslander'' 3 December 1904 p46 A book of verse. Brisbane: Gordon and Gotch, 1916

Music

Sunrise / words and melody by J. H. Nicholson; pianoforte accompaniment by Lena Hammond. Brisbane: s.n. 19? Rouse Australians: patriotic song. words and music by John H. Nicholson c1898 edited by Seymore Dicker. Brisbane: Pole, Outridge and Co, 19- Our Austral flag: song and chorus / words and music by John H Nicholson; pianoforte accompaniment and chorus arrangement by V.B. Benvenuti. Brisbane: W. H. Paling & Co., 1901