Isaac Nichols
Isaac Nichols (born 29 July 1770 in Calne, Wiltshire, England – died in November 1819 in Sydney) was an English-born Australian farmer, shipowner and public servant. He was transported as a convict to New South Wales on the Third Fleet for seven years after being convicted of stealing in 1790. He is best remembered as the first postmaster of the service that became Australia Post.
In New South Wales he earned the favor of Governor John Hunter and his aide George Johnston and was made chief overseer of convict gangs in the Sydney area. In 1797, after his sentence ended, Hunter granted him 50 acres in the Concord district, where he started a farm and had two convicts work for him. The next year he bought a spirit licence and opened an inn on George Street.
In 1799 Nichols was convicted of receiving stolen goods and sentenced to 14 years on Norfolk Island, a trial that Hunter believed was unfair. Hunter suspended the sentence and referred the case to England. In 1802 Governor King was instructed to grant him a free pardon. In the meantime Nichols expanded his land and built a substantial house and other buildings in lower George Street. He started a shipyard and, in 1805, built a ship called the Governor Hunter for trade, making him a successful businessman.
Nichols supported the Rum Rebellion to depose Governor Bligh. He had been an assigned convict to George Johnston, one of the rebellion’s leaders, and later married Johnston’s stepdaughter. In March 1809 the military rulers appointed him superintendent of public works and assistant to the naval office, and in April 1809 he became the colony’s first postmaster. His main duty was to manage mail arriving on ships, which he did from his house in the Rocks, posting a list of recipients outside.
When Governor Macquarie arrived in 1810, he approved Nichols and named him principal superintendent of convicts. Nichols’ later years saw him well respected, hosting many social events and supporting public causes. He was a major supplier of meat to government stores.
Personal life: Nichols married Mary Warren in 1796; she drowned in 1804. He married Rosanna Abrahams (Rosetta Julian) in 1805, and they had three sons—Isaac David (1807–1867), George Robert (1809–1857) and Charles Hamilton (1811–1869). Shortly before his death he sent his sons to England for education; they returned to the colony in 1822. Isaac David later found insolvency, George became a solicitor and politician, and Charles ran Bell’s Life in Sydney. After Charles’ death the Nichols family faded from public life.
Isaac Nichols died in November 1819 in Sydney, remembered as the colony’s first postmaster and a prominent early settler.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:27 (CET).