Joyce Nicholson


Joyce Nicholson was an Australian author and businesswoman.
Nicholson was born in Melbourne, the daughter of publisher D.W. Thorpe. She was educated at Methodist Ladies' College and the University of Melbourne. She was involved with Sisters Publishing and served as managing director, later becoming the sole owner, of D.W. Thorpe Pty Ltd from 1968 until the company was sold in 1987.
Nicholson authored over 25 books, many of which focused on children and women's issues. In 1983, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to literature and the book publishing industry.
She married Harvey Nicholson and had four children: Peter, Hilary, Wendy, and Michael.
Nicholson sponsored the Joyce Thorpe Nicholson Collection at the University of Melbourne, which includes books by and about Australian women, rare 19th-century materials, and 20th-century political ephemera. The Joyce Thorpe Nicholson Hall of Fame Award, presented by Thorpe Bowker, recognises designers who have made significant contributions to book design in Australia.

Timeline

Books

  • Nicholson, Joyce, How to play auction bridge, G.W. Green & Sons,,, 23 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ' : complete guide to solo, auction solo, three-handed solo, hints on bidding and play, scoring, illustrated hands, with special chapter for beginners who have never played cards of any kind, Gordon and Gotch, Melbourne,, 64 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, The Way to Play – a book on strategies to win at the card Game Solo
  • Nicholson, Joyce, You can run a library, Australian Red Cross Society,, 1948, 56 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, Our first overlander, Shakespeare Head Press, Sydney, 1956, 128 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ', 1957 – Over 100 different games from the 1950s. Epworth Press
  • Nicholson, Joyce, Kerri and Honey, Lansdowne, Melbourne, 1962, 32 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, A mortar-board for Priscilla, Children's Library Guild of Australia, Melbourne, 1963, 121 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ', Thomas Nelson, Melbourne, 1974, 121 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ', Lansdowne press,, 1983
  • Nicholson, Joyce, Why women lose at bridge, V. Gollancz in association with P. Crawley, London, 1985, 95 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, Man against mutiny : the story of Vice-Admiral Bligh, Lutterworth Press, London, c1961, 95 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce,, Successful parties and social evenings, Gordon and Gotch, Melbourne,, 64 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, and De Lisle, Gordon, Ringtail the possum, Lansdowne,, 1965, 32 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Leunig, Mary, 1950–, ', Pitman, Carlton, Vic., 1975, 70 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Max B. Miller, The little green tractor, Little Books Publishing House, Hawthorn,Vic,
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Max B. Miller, The little blue car, Little Books Publishing House, Hawthorn,Vic,
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & McArdle, Brian, Sir Charles and the lyrebird, Lansdowne, Melbourne, 1966
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Smith, L. H., 1910–, Woop the wombat, Lansdowne,,, 32 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Smith, L. H., 1910–, illus., Yap the penguin, Lansdowne,, 1967, 32 pp.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, & Thorpe, Daniel, 1889–1976., ', 1921–1987, Courtyard Press, Middle Park, Vic., 2000, 326 pp. The story of DW Thorpe Publishers. A Life of books is a chronicle not only of a family company that has been at the centre of the book trade in Australia since the 1920s, but equally, of the people, companies, associations, issues, debates, troubles and joys that have affected the industry.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ', 1983 From the mother of 4 grown-up children. After 35 years of devoted marriage, she left the family home to live alone – happily. This book is a deeply personal account of her feelings about being a mother; her honesty is extraordinary and very moving, her conclusions startling.
  • Nicholson, Joyce, ', 2012 www.digbys.com – The story of Mary Bligh, daughter of William Bligh.

Journal articles

  • Gorman, Lyn, A life in books, Australian Library Journal, vol. 49, no. 4, 2000, pp. 374–376.First Pacific Book Trade Seminar Papers, D. W. Thorpe

Thesis