Joyce Nicholson was an Australian author and business woman, and a significant contributor to the Australian political organisation, the Women's Electoral Lobby. The daughter of publisher D.W. Thorpe, Nicholson was born in Melbourne, and educated at Methodist Ladies' College and the University of Melbourne. She was active in the women's movement as one of the founding members of the Woman's Electoral Lobby, and of Sisters Publishing. She was a significant influence in the Australian publishing industry for many years as managing director, and later sole owner, of D.W. Thorpe Pty Ltd, from 1968 until 1987, when the firm was sold. She authored over 25 books, many of them dealing with children and women. In 1983, Nicholson was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for "service 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, a major collection of books by and about Australian women at Melbourne University. It includes rare nineteenth century material, as well as scarce twentieth century political ephemera. The Joyce Thorpe Nicholson Hall of Fame Award is sponsored by and presented periodically to a designer whose body of work has made a significant contribution to the standards of book design in Australia.
Timeline
1935–1946: junior typist, secretary and sub-editor at D W Thorpe Pty Ltd
1998: recipient of the Lloyd O'Neil Award for services to the Book Industry
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, & 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.
First Pacific Book Trade Seminar Papers, D. W. Thorpe
Thesis
Nicholson, Joyce, The Women's Electoral Lobby and Women's Employment: Strategies and Outcomes, MA, Women's Studies, History, The University of Melbourne', MA thesis, The University of Melbourne, 1991, 118 pp.
