(Material researched & presented by Barbara Armstrong)

 

[1844 - 1921]

 

William Nicholas Photo: Jordan's Crossing Gazette Dec 2011

William Nicholas was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, son of George and Hannah Nicholas of Gloucestershire.

 

According to William's obituary, he arrived in New South Wales around 1861 when he would have been about 16 or 17 years of age. The 1867 edition of the New South Wales Directory lists W.A. Nicholas as being a bookseller and stationer at Forbes. He was also a photographer. During his time in Forbes he took a photograph of Sir Frederick Pottinger, the Inspector of Police who was responsible for directing operations against the bushrangers. As Sir Frederick died in April 1865, William must have taken the photograph in Forbes some time before that date.  In April 1862 Sir Frederick arrested the bushranger Ben Hall at Forbes.  It is possible that William photographed Sir Frederick at that time in Forbes.

 

In August 1867 his name was included on a list of insolvents, stating that he was a photographer at Dubbo. 'Some time afterwards' he arrived in the Bundanoon area. By 1874 he was living at Jordan's Crossing (which was re-named as Bundanoon in 1881). He was listed as being one of the agents for the Illustrated Sydney News and NSW Agriculturalist and Grazier.

 

Photographer and Hotel Manager

It was at Jordan's Crossing/Bundanoon that William became well-known for his occupation as a photographer. Included in the archives of the Berrima History Society are images taken by William of local scenes which are in the form of stereoscopic cards. In 1896 William presented 12 lantern views of Bundanoon to the Goulburn Technological Museum, and in 1898 the Bundanoon railway station featured two large frames containing William's photos of the local scenery, with the aim of encouraging tourism. (William eventually became chairman of the Bundanoon Progress Committee.) An album of his works is held by the Mitchell Library.

 

Around 1877 William invented a 'self-acting photographic print washing machine' which was featured in several newspaper articles in 1880.

 

In 1889 William advertised that 'under the distinguished patronage of his Excellency Lord Carrington' he had opened a branch gallery in Bong Bong Street, Bowral. (His younger brother, George Henry Nicholas, and his wife were also photographers. In 1890 George Henry advertised that he was going to conduct his business from Bong Bong Street.)

 

In 1878 William married his first wife, widowed Sarah Price (previous married name Mardon). Sarah was also a photographer. When in 1880 a newspaper article spoke of a woman in Melbourne who had started a photographic studio, implying that this was 'something fresh', Sarah sent a letter from her home at 'Fern Shades, Jordan's Crossing'.

 

I think the mother colony can claim precedence with Victoria, as I have during the last nine years travelled through all the towns on the Southern railway between Sydney and Wagga Wagga, following the fascinating art of photography. I do all my own operating, and am now temporarily located in Goulburn, having introduced the 'Gem' style there.

 

Sarah continued her letter by advocating the same advantages of education and training for women that was afforded to men. She also thought that men should select their wives 'from the ranks of useful girls instead of from the votaries of fashion'. If men included their wives in the running of their businesses instead of considering them as a 'family drudge', women's capabilities would be heard of more often, and men would less often become insolvent. (Was she referring to her husband?) She thanked her husband for teaching her the art of photography. One advertisement for her visit to Crookwell stated that her photographs 'fully exhibit an artist's skill'.

 

In May 1884 the 'W.A. Nicholas's subdivision' in Bundanoon was advertised, with the sale of 102 business sites opposite the railway station.

 

Also in 1884 it was reported that Bundanoon's first hotel had at last been opened, with William Nicholas having opened his residence, 'Fern Shades', as a hotel. The business was later referred to as the 'Commercial Hotel'.

 

In 1886 the licence was transferred to his wife, Sarah. She continued there until 1892 when she opened a new hotel called the Tourist Hotel.

 

Mr Nicholas as 'Homœopathist'

In newspaper articles and the Post Office directories, Mr Nicholas always stated that his occupation was that of a photographer, not a health practitioner. However the local newspapers provide evidence that he did provide medical assistance for those in need, as there was no medical practitioner in the area.

 

In 1888 a public meeting of residents was held to determine the best way to recognise Mr Nicholas' valuable services in always being willing to help any one in the neighbourhood in any way whatever. They wished to gather subscriptions to show their appreciation of the valued help and assistance Mr Nicholas had given to his neighbours in cases of sickness, accident, or other instances of a similarly deserving nature.

 

In April 1892 the parent of one of his patients presented Mr Nicholas with a valuable clock. According to the newspapers, the child was sent up to Bundanoon to die, after three Sydney doctors had pronounced the boy's case incurable. The boy was under Mr Nicholas' treatment for two months, after which the lad was restored to health and returned to Sydney. As a mark of esteem and gratitude for Mr Nicholas' skill in treating the case, the child's father, a jeweller, presented him with a 'splendid' silver fourteen-day clock. 'The face resembles one of the Ansonic alarm clocks with long swinging pendulum, with a bronze figure representing time holding it above his head.'

 

One newspaper called Mr Nicholas 'our local medico', while the other referred to him as 'our local homœopathist'.

 

In December 1893 the local paper reported as follows:

 

We hear with regret that Mr W.A. Nicholas, has relinquished practice as a homœopathist. If true, this must prove a real calamity to Bundanoon. Can nothing be done to prevent it. Mr Nicholas has given medical advice to the inhabitants of this district for over 20 years, and has been consistently successful in his treatment, effecting in many cases some really remarkable cures.

 

However it appears that he did continue to be called upon to assist people when there was an emergency.

 

In January 1893 William's wife advertised Fernmount as 'superior accommodation for visitors'. However she died a year later on 19 January 1894.

 

In 1896 William married Sarah Elizabeth Grubb Lake at Goulburn. She was born in 1859 at Goulburn and began her career as a teacher. Eventually she was transferred to the Bundanoon school where she met her future husband.

 

William Nicholas died on 10 May, 1921 at his home, 'Fernmount' after an illness which had lasted over several months. According to his obituary:

 

He had done everything that was in his power for the welfare of the district and identified himself with all the local public movements for the benefit of the town in which he had been a worthy and trusty figure for over half a century. He took a particularly keen interest in the numerous beauty spots surrounding the locality, and was concerned in having the popular places of resort made attractive and within easy access of reach. In fact, the tourist town of Bundanoon owes much to the vigilance, perseverance, and activity of the deceased gentleman. He was a photographer and homœopathist (having established a factory in the town), and in respect to the latter business it might be mentioned that many a person felt deeply thankful to the deceased for valuable services that had been rendered them at times.

 

The Pill Factory

Mention of a 'factory' in relation to him being a homœopath is interesting. This is a reference to a building at 12 Anzac Parade, Bundanoon which now provides accommodation and dining facilities. It is called 'The Pill Factory' in memory of its previous use. It was originally known as the Nicholas Factory, the Nicholas Laboratory, the Golden Cross Laboratory or the Golden Cross Manufacturing Company.

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In May 1929 newspaper items appeared advertising the Prospectus of The Nicholas Golden Cross Homeopathic Medicine Company Limited. The business produced 22 lines consisting of mixtures and ointments for coughs, colds, asthma, blood-poisoning, sprains, lacerated wounds, etc. In addition to the Golden Cross Homeopathic Remedies, the Company planned to produce Beresford's Blood Purifier and Beresford's Liver Extract for pernicious anaemia. These products would be produced in Sydney under the supervision of the Manager, H.G. Beresford, until the plant at Bundanoon had been improved and enlarged.

 

Shares were to be sold to pay for the land, plant and fittings of the business, purchased from Sarah Nicholas, the widow and successor to the business of the late William Augustus Nicholas. Sarah was both a Director and Vendor of the business. She planned to continue to dispense and superintend all work in the laboratory.

 

According to the advertisement for the Prospectus, the Plant consisted of a laboratory, shop, wrapping and packing room, printing room and bulk store, three printing machines and other machinery used for cardboard box manufacture, a book stitcher, press and plow for putting advertising circulars and instructional matter into book form, all stock and stationery on hand, and all other fittings connected with the plant; all scales, measures, dry and liquid, all medical books, jars, bottles, containers, and all other utensils and tools, together with the goodwill and one-half acre of land. The prospects for profit were considered to be good (estimated to be not less than 10 per cent per annum) because the Company would own the property and most of the work would be done by female labour. (Presumably the latter comment meant that labour costs would be low.)

 

According to the advertisement 'for the past ten years Golden Cross Remedies have been sold without the aid of advertising', although the Company planned to advertise the products throughout Australia and New Zealand in the future. (To-date I have not found any such advertisements in the Australian or New Zealand newspapers; it appears that the promised advertising did not take place.)

 

Some websites give a date of the 1860s for the Pill Factory. However, at that time Mr Nicholas was at Forbes and Dubbo, so that information is incorrect. The first mention of the laboratory was in December 1896:

 

 

 

We notice that Mr W.A. Nicholas has started to erect his new factory - a very large building - and we wish him every success in his enterprise.

 

So the factory would have commenced business some time in 1897. The clock on the front of the building was added later. In October 1901 it was reported that:

 

Mr Nicholas has had a clock with a dial three feet six inches in diameter erected in the front of his Golden Cross Laboratory. It is a great boon to the residents.

 

(Note that the clock which is on the front of the building does not match the description of the clock which he was given by the jeweller parent of his patient in 1892. Statements that the clock on the front of the building is the same as the clock presented by the grateful patient are incorrect.)

 

Nicholas' Golden Cross Manufacturing Co., Bundanoon

In 1902 the Church of England Guild used the laboratory's premises. In 1908 a gale blew the roof off the laboratory, landing it on the railway line. The heavy rain falling at the time caused great damage to Mr Nicholas' effects and stock.

 

From 1920 the entry for W.A. Nicholas in the Sands Post Office Directory listed him as 'JP, Golden Cross Manufacturing Co., Bundanoon.' In previous directories (for example in the 1898 NSW Country Trades Register and Hall's Country Directory and Gazetteer of NSW 1899 - 1900) he had been listed as a photographer with no mention of the Manufacturing Company.

 

Following William's death, in 1925 the local council considered that, with a little alteration, the Nicholas Laboratory would make suitable Shire Chambers. In 1926 a hairdresser advertised that she would visit Bundanoon every Saturday at Mrs Nicholas' Laboratory.

 

The above-mentioned sale of shares of the Golden Cross Homeopathic Medicine Company did not save the business. By 1931 a Mrs Morris was making alterations to re-create it as a guest house with a large dining room and a ballroom upstairs. It was to be called 'D'estraville'. By the 1940s it was called 'Bundanoon House'. As mentioned, it is now called 'The Pill Factory' in memory of its original use.

 

The Nicholas Family Home

The Nicholas home was always named with reference to ferns: 1880 - Fern Shades; 1882 - Fernwood (advertising 'first class farm accommodation'); Fernmount in 1888. Fernmount was described as being adjacent to the overhead bridge crossing the railway line on the Bundanoon-Penrose Road. It was on a corner with a curve in the road which was considered to be 'dangerous'. It was later re-named as The California Guest House. Made of weatherboard, it was destroyed by fire in 1937. The above description of the house's location implies that it was on the opposite side of the road to the Pill Factory, on the corner of Penrose Road and Anzac Parade, leading to the bridge over the railway. That site is now in the area occupied by The Ravensworth hotel/motel, with Nicholas Avenue at the rear of the property.

 

Sarah Nicholas died in 1945 and her cremated remains were brought from Sydney to Bundanoon to be interred beside those of her husband.

 

©   Barbara Armstrong

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