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HUBERT ALAN NICHOLS
often referred to as
The "Father" of Woodchopping
The son of George Nichols the grandson of William Mercer Nichols, who with his family, came to Van Dieman's Land (later named Tasmania) as a free settler with Governor David Collins on the ship "Ocean" in 1804. William Nichols, was the supervisor of the building of the first houses in the Colony and George Nichols was an early pioneer of the Sprent district, south of Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia.
Hubert Nichols was born at Macquarie Plains in the Ulverstone District, on July the 26th 1864 and died at his home in Grove St. Ulverstone in 1940 at the age of 76 years.
He settled with his family at "Blackwood Park", Castra in 1882, and was known as being the first man to fell and clear scrub the Nietta district. In 1889 he had an accident and had to take on less physical work. He commenced journalism with the "North-West Post" at Latrobe and later at Devonport and Ulverstone.
He took a great interest in the development of the Sprent and Nietta area and was one of the instigators of the construction of the Nietta railway. He was particularly supportive of the Potato Industry and at the time of his death was a member of the Tasmanian Potato Marketing Board.
He was elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council as member for Mersey in 1902, and was re-elected in 1906, 1912, 1914 and 1918. He was later elected for Meander in 1929 and held the seat until 1935. He was associated with Municipal Government at Ulverstone from the inaugural formation and was first elected in 1908. He served several terms as Warden. He was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 1903 and a Coroner for the District in 1905. For several years he held executive positions with the West Devon Agricultural Society and the Show Council of Tasmania.
Throughout his lifetime he was a keen sportsman, he excelled at cricket in his younger days was a competent axeman and in his later years became very proficient at lawn bowls.
He is best remembered as the man who put the worldwide sport of competitive woodchopping as we know it "on the map." This unique sport made its formal debut at a meeting at Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia on the 16th June 1981. He wrote the rules of the United Australasian Axemen's Association and they were adopted at this meeting for all sawing and chopping events in Australia and New Zealand. He promoted and organised major Axemen's Carnivals along the North-West Coast, including the First World Championship Carnival at Latrobe on Dec3rd 1891. For many years Ulverstone was the Mecca for axemen from all parts of the Dominion. For a great many years he was Official Handicapper for meeting in Tasmania. No chopping meeting was complete without the attendance of H.A.Nichols.
Family man, farmer, bushman, journalist, politician, councillor, sportsman, Coroner, Justice of the Peace, sports promoter, land and estate agent. Hubert Allan Nichols was all of these.
